


Adjustments

by Eiznel24



Series: The Tales We Tell [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bad Science, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Kinda?, Light Bondage, M/M, PTSD Papyrus, PTSD Sans, Panic Attack, Sibling Incest, Sloppy Makeouts, Slow Burn, Some puns, Soul Sex, Strong Papyrus, Threats of Violence, Timeline Awareness, Unethical Experimentation, Wet Dream, Xenophobia, pillow humping, the poor insecure babs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-05-25 12:18:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 76,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6194863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eiznel24/pseuds/Eiznel24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was freedom for monsterkind. It should have been a celebration, right? So why doesn’t it feel like it? Even with the joy of victory, there’s still fear and paranoia clouding his mind, and Sans didn’t think it was ever going to go away. He realizes that not only will he have to deal with humans and their fears (and everything that comes with that fear), but with how he feels about those close to him, more specifically, his brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Well, then. New fic. Gonna be much longer and probably a HELL of a lot angstier (and fluffier). I hope you guys are ready to join me for the long haul <3

It was over. Countless years of waiting, of suffering, of desperate hopes and dreams, and the barrier was broken. He really doesn’t remember what happened, for once. His memory had been so agonizingly clear over the past few days, his vague impressions of the timelines he lived in layering over each other into several distinct paths. Usually, they stayed trapped. In a few timelines, he even recalled Papyrus becoming ruler of the Underground.

_His brother had always looked so tired in those timelines, his cheery disposition falling a little flat despite how much he tried to stay upbeat. Even his appearance seemed to reflect his change in personality. He had traded in his battle body for a light gray suit of armor that settled in layers across his frame. He had kept gloves on, but they were a darker red than the set from his costume. Matching the gloves was a long red cloak that typically hid most of his body and lightly dusted the floor. Topping off the look was the golden crown that Papyrus had gained ownership of. There was rarely a time where Sans *didn’t* know how much his brother hated the thing. The most startling change was his eyes. Perhaps it was stress, but his eyes were seemingly permanently illuminated in a calming orange. Papyrus had always managed to be very expressive without eyes, but the softly glowing irides added a degree of expressiveness that sometimes threw Sans off, and, if directed at him, made him feel horribly exposed._

_Some nights, Papyrus would gently remove the crown from his head and sink down into the throne, his shoulders slumping and a single gloved hand coming up to cover half of his face. Sans would stand close by, a hand halfway towards reaching for him, his brow ridges drawn in worry. His brother’s voice would dip, lower and far more morose than any of the other denizens of the Underground would ever hear._

_‘I’m so tired, Sans.’_

_His hovering hand would jerk and his unchanging grin would falter. Papyrus would lift his free hand, flinging it in front of him in a desperate gesture before dropping it back down onto the arm of the throne._

_‘I want everyone to be happy, I do! I want it more than anything in the world! But…I never wanted to lie to them. I know we can’t leave. I know the human took any last chance we had with them when they disappeared after…after they met His Majesty. I can’t make everyone sadder than they already are, I can’t! Do…do you think King Asgore had ever lied to keep us happy?’_

_Sans would hesitate, wanting to just hug his brother and tell him everything would be okay despite knowing that no, it’d never be okay._

_‘i’m. sure he did, pap. sometimes you have to lie when you’re a leader. and you can’t make everyone happy, either. it’s just…how things are.’_

_He would see the frown bloom across his brother’s features, and the lines under his eye sockets get a little darker._

_‘Oh. I…I see.’_

_Then Papyrus would stand up from the throne and turn to look at him with those sad orange eyes, his plated armor clanking quietly and his long red cloak settling over his shoulders, hiding most of his body. He’d reach a hand out, wrapping it around the back of Sans’s head and dragging him forward into a hug. After a few silent moments, Papyrus would speak again, somehow even quieter than before. His voice would shake a little._

_‘Sans, you wouldn’t…lie to me, would you?’_

_Sans would think of all the timelines he’d already seen, of their father that only he could remember, and of how Papyrus would feel if he ever found out the truth. He really hated himself._

_‘no, paps. never.’_

_He felt the hug grow a little tighter._

_‘Then…will we be okay? All of us. The Underground.’_

_The hatred grew a little more._

_‘i’m not sure. maybe further down the road.’_

_‘Oh…’_

_He couldn’t stand to hear that tone in his brother’s voice. His brother deserved all the happiness in the world. Deserved the best life. The best brother._

_‘give it time, paps. everyone will eventually forget about it, and we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done.’_

_‘Yes, I…I suppose you’re right. Thank you, Sans.’_

_Then he would let go and start making his way back to New Home, the cloak fluttering behind him in a way that made him seem like he was floating. Sans would feel his soul clench almost painfully at the sight, and he’d brush it aside, trailing behind absentmindedly._

And that’s how most of the timelines would go. With misery, and pain, and lies and broken promises. He wouldn’t even bother thinking of the timelines where everyone would die, himself included. And he would very firmly ignore the timelines where he’d only lose his brother, even more firmly than ignoring all the genocide timelines. But now…it seemed it was over. They had all congregated outside where the barrier had once stood, watching the sun dip below the horizon. It probably would have been more convenient if it was dawn, but telling Frisk to wait for dawn to save them all seemed a bit silly. Still, though, Papyrus’s first look at the sun was something he wanted to burn into his memory. The tall skeleton was nearly vibrating with restrained excitement and was practically radiating joy. _‘now if only it would stay this way…’_ Sans was far more reserved in his enthusiasm despite seeing the surface for the first time. It was definitely beautiful and all the foreign sounds of this world were tickling at his scientifically curious nature, but the part of him that had lived through what felt like years of death and heartache in the span of a few days was skeptical. When would the other shoe drop?

His grin was so damn fake it was pathetic, not that anyone could tell (Papyrus could. He noticed everything about his brother, but he respected Sans’s privacy. He’d tell him in his own time.). The tall skeleton thrust his arms above his head, his own grin very much real.

“WOWIE! SANS, IS THIS WHAT YOU CALLED THE SUN?”

“sure is, bro. i’m surprised you remembered me teaching you all that boring stuff.”

Oh, that was a fun time. He’d attempted teaching his younger brother as much as he could about space, but quit halfway through and spent most of his time driving him up the wall with space puns _(SANS, I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS SPACE STUFF! ‘no **pressure** , bro.’ SANS! ‘i say it’s **time** to pack it up and call it a **day**.’ NO, STOP THAT. YOU DO THIS JUST TO TORMENT ME! ‘that’s ridiculous paps. you make it sound like i **planet**.’ NYEHHHHH!)_ Papyrus had jumped out one of their windows and run off screeching into the main drag of Snowdin when he couldn’t take it anymore, loudly declaring his intense and undying hatred of puns and space. No one in town had looked him in the eye for a week.

“SANS, I REMEMBER EVERYTHING YOU TELL ME, EVEN IF I DON’T LIKE OR UNDERSTAND IT.”

To Sans’s left, Frisk was facing him with their hands up in a heart shape, a large happy grin nearly splitting their face in two. To his right, Alphys had gone pink in the cheeks and was feverishly muttering something about “OTPs”. Undyne was staring with a raised eyebrow at the short reptilian monster before looking to Papyrus and slamming a hand down on his shoulder. The skeleton didn’t even flinch. She knew there was a reason he was her best friend; anyone that could take a hit from her was well beyond worthy of the title.

“You are the best brother ever, Papyrus. Man, what’d a punk like Sans do to deserve a great guy like you??”

Sans shoved his hands deeper into his jacket pockets, clenching them into fists. _‘i wish i knew the answer to that, too; tell me when you find out.’_ The grin on his face stayed wide, even though his eyelights dimmed a little. From the corner of his eye, he saw Frisk frown and begin gesticulating wildly in Undyne’s direction, prompting Toriel who had thus far been quietly watching the sunset to put a comforting hand on the tiny human’s shoulder.

“Frisk, my child, please be calm. What are you trying to say?”

Taking a deep breath, Frisk tried again, slowing down the movements of their hands so that it could be more easily read. Sans nearly scoffed at the message.

_Sans is more than worth it and is just as great a brother as Papyrus. Stop being a bully!_

He appreciated the gesture, truly. But he didn’t entirely trust them yet. There were times when he’d blink while looking at the child and see the the version of them that was covered in blood and dust, with a sweet smile on their face and a red glint in their eyes. When he felt especially paranoid, he would always just barely avoid asking Frisk to open their eyes just to make sure that he wouldn’t find that flash of red in them. He never slept with them nearby, one half afraid that they would reveal their true nature while he slept, the other half afraid that he would dream of the other Frisk and if the child were to be anywhere near when he woke up…well. They’d probably have a **really** bad time. And he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he saw Papyrus’s heartbroken face. 

Speaking of which, he would never understand how Papyrus had grown to love the human so much in such a short time. If he were honest with himself, he’d probably admit that he was jealous. Not because his brother was so attached, but because nowadays it was so tedious to _feel_ anything. To love so openly and quickly had always been something of a foreign concept to Sans, and it grew even harder to understand once the resets started coming. Why feel when everything was going to be ripped away from you? Why not spare yourself the hurt and just shut it all away? He was torn from his thoughts at the sound of Papyrus’s voice.

“THE HUMAN IS RIGHT, UNDYNE. SANS DESERVES ME AS MUCH AS I DESERVE HIM. HE’S REALLY THE COOLEST BROTHER!”

_‘he just called me **cool** …’_

“heh. thanks bro. but uh. you’re the cool one, not me.”

“NONSENSE! EVEN IF YOU’RE HORRIBLY LAZY AND TERRIBLE AT PUZZLES, YOU’RE STILL AMAZING!”

Alphys was practically steaming from the ears and fumbling with her clawed hands, shifting from leg to leg. It looked like she was biting down on her lip to keep from speaking. He wanted to laugh at how red she was turning.

“uh. alphys? just talk, you look like you’re gonna explode.”

The small dinosaur’s hands flailed at her sides as she finally opened her mouth to speak.

“I SHIP IT!! I S-SHIP IT SO HARD!”

Near her, Asgore scratched at his blonde beard in confusion. Undyne, on the other hand, was starting to look pale around the gills as her eyes flitted between Sans and Papyrus. Sans didn’t really know what Alphys said, but he had a pretty good idea that it wasn’t something good based on Undyne’s reaction.

“I’m sorry, doctor, but I’m afraid I don’t understand. What are you shipping and why are you doing it forcefully? Also, are you referring to a ferry?”

With a sharp cutting motion, Undyne glared down at Alphys. The scientist was a curious shade of purple as embarrassment sank in.

“O-oh, i-it’s nothing, Your M-Majesty. It’s just…uh…an expression…f-for…uh…oh my…”

Everyone’s eyes were on her. Ohhh, she had messed this up so badly! But they were…it was so…! She began toppling over sideways as her mortification reached critical mass. Before Asgore could stoop down to catch her, Undyne had already sprinted the small distance and was holding Alphys in her arms, her long red ponytail settling in place a second after. Papyrus clapped loudly, exclaiming “WOWIE! YOU LOOK SO HEROIC, UNDYNE! JUST LIKE THE PICTURES IN THE HUMAN HISTORY BOOKS THE DOCTOR HAS!”

The fish monster grinned sheepishly, her cheeks dusting with color.

“Yeah, I guess so, huh? I’m gonna head off, see if I can find someplace for Alphys to get better. I’d better hurry, my night vision isn’t the best.”

Before she could take too many steps away, Asgore caught up with her, placing a large comforting hand on her shoulder and looking down at the unconscious scientist guiltily.

“This is my fault. Let me help you, my fire magic can light the way.”

“Asgore.”

The king turned around, his face shifting between love and grief as he met the gaze of Toriel. Her expression was still hard. Her eyes shifted down to where Frisk was tugging on her robe, making more gestures.

“Frisk says to avoid human civilization until the morning. Things are evidently very different now from when we were last on the surface and will need to be approached differently.”

Asgore was sure the child was looking at him, despite their eyes being closed.

“Frisk, do you…want to be our ambassador to the humans?”

There was an emphatic nod. Quick to join in, Papyrus shoved an arm in the air, waving wildly.

“IF FRISK IS GOING TO BE OUR AMBASSADOR, CAN I BE THE MASCOT??”

Hooking a finger inside the glove of Papyrus’s lowered hand, Sans yanked, immediately getting his brother’s attention. He started walking away, Papyrus obediently following behind.

“no.”

“BUT SANS—“

“no.”

“PLEASE??”

“nope.”

“I WOULD BE THE BEST MASCOT, THOUGH!”

“i’m sure you would, paps. but no.”

He felt Asgore and Undyne follow behind, the two of them chuckling at Papyrus’s loud complaints. He sighed to himself, and clenched the hand in his jacket. New beginning, right?

Welp. Might as well get started sometime.


	2. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a cameo, or  
> In which happiness is one step closer

Meeting humans aboveground went about as well as could be expected. There was a lot of screaming, a lot of threats thrown around, lots of placating motions made by the king and queen, as well as lots of vouching for from Frisk (he hadn’t even known the kid could talk when not possessed by their more evil half; he felt a little affronted). At some point a stapler had been thrown at Papyrus’s head by a frightened female and Sans had bristled defensively, his magic flaring and halting the object before it could get near his brother’s skull. The humans in the room had all stilled and stared wide-eyed at the floating stapler. Wisps of blue magic were curling away from his left eye, which was glowing softly. Frisk was making more hand gestures, a pleading expression on their face.

_Give them mercy, Sans. They don’t understand._

All of the other monsters had similar expressions on their faces, urging him to have restraint. His brother’s expression was the calmest in the room, his brows pulled down only a slight amount and his mouth quirked up in a hint of a smile. He had the utmost faith that Sans would be fine. It was ridiculous. God, his brother would probably forgive him even if he had blasted everyone in the room.

_‘i’m not that bad, am i…?’_

He deposited the stapler on a nearby desk, as gently as he could manage. Cold blue met frightened brown. The poor human was shaking in place, probably waiting for him to rip her to bloody pieces or something. He wouldn’t disappoint his brother. Not now, not ever. The magic in his eye dissipated, but he kept the process slow, just to watch the human squirm uncomfortably. He’d give them mercy, but that didn’t mean he was happy that they had dared to throw something at Papyrus.

“heh. watch your aim, buddo. almost hit my bro, there.”

The supposed leader of the human settlement–a mayor, Frisk had called him–gave a soft sigh of relief. He was completely forgettable as far as humans went, middle aged with brown hair and blue eyes, with a slight hunch to his posture and muted colors that made him look washed out. He would nervously tap his foot or tug at the tie around his neck. Seemed awfully weak for a leader, in Sans’s opinion. Asgore was a huge softie, but he was authorative when necessary, and carried himself proudly (when not getting stared down by Toriel). Maybe they just ran things differently up here.

“Ah, that’s, uh, your brother? I’m very sorry, sir, my employee meant no disrespect. We’re just understandably a little, uh, surprised. We have plenty of books and articles of, uh, monsters, but they’re considered mythology…you know. Stories. You have your own mythology, yes? On humans, perhaps?”

Papyrus stuck his hand in the air, startling the small group of humans. The mayor cleared his throat and made a halting gesture towards Papyrus, giving him leeway to speak.

“Uh…yes?”

“WE HAVE PLENTY OF HUMAN HISTORY BOOKS! THERE’S ALL THE ONES TELLING US ABOUT THE WAR AND HOW THE HUMANS TRAPPED US UNDERGROUND. I’M SURE YOU HAD YOUR REASONS! AND THEN THERE ARE THE HISTORY BOOKS THAT TALK ABOUT YOUR EPIC BATTLES IN GIANT ROBOTS, AND YOUR MAGICAL PRINCESSES THAT COMBAT THE FORCES OF EVIL! THOSE ARE THE BEST STORIES.”

It would have been surprisingly easy to hear a pin drop in the room. Alphys had gone completely red in the face and Undyne was nodding sagely along with what Papyrus was saying. An employee at the back of the group snickered to himself.

“John? Is something funny?”

The reedy young man at the back straightened up and sheepishly scratched his head.

“Ah, no. It’s just. I didn’t think…uh. It’s nothing. I just wasn’t aware anime was a thing where these guys were from.”

Both Alphys and Undyne perked up. They both spoke at once.

“You like anime?”

John laughed again, his cheeks turning a light pink. His black bangs flopped down in front of his glasses as he nodded.

_‘What a cute kid,’_ Undyne thought. _‘His teeth remind me of Alphys.’_

“It’s more my sister’s thing, but there’s some stuff that I like. Just! Don’t tell anyone? My best bro would probably make fun of me for liking it ‘unironically’ if he knew, pfffft.”

He rolled his eyes affectionately. Undyne’s grin grew until it stretched across her entire face. The other humans recoiled a little, but John’s returning grin only grew.

“You have nothing to worry about, punk! We. Don’t really know any other humans anyway? Other than Frisk, I mean! But you are still totally a nerd! NGAHHHAHAHA!”

“I am not! I’ll have you know that I’m a very cool guy! Did you know that…”

Almost unconsciously, the two monsters and dorky human split off to go talk amongst themselves, Alphys actually looking less nervous than normal and Undyne relaxing her permanently tense stance. The mayor fidgeted with his tie again and cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well, uh. It seems like some of us will get along just fine.”

Asgore quietly cleared his throat (it was still surprising to Sans that such an imposing boss monster could be so soft-spoken) and brought the humans’ attention to him.

“If it is okay with you, we would like permission to build near your settlements. I’d like nothing more than to put our history behind us and begin relations with humanity again. We can contribute to your society; we have skilled laborers, chefs, scholars, scientists, almost anything you’d need. In the distant past, a great monster whose name has been lost to the ages built the CORE, the immense structure beneath Mount Ebott that kept us supplied with power for untold years.”

Sans almost flinched. Almost.

_‘Gaster…’_

A not-so-tiny part of him wished saying or even thinking his name would make him appear again. Maybe Gaster wasn’t always the best parent, but he had been a great friend and the most brilliant monster he’d ever had the pleasure of interacting with. But he’d never see his creator again, and he was going to have to live with that. The thought still burned in the back of his throat.

Papyrus noticed the careless posture of his brother tighten and resisted the temptation to frown worriedly. What about that statement set him off? He wished his brother wouldn’t always be so secretive, but he was sure Sans had his reasons. One day, Sans would be comfortable enough to tell him everything that bothered him. Or maybe not. He wasn’t always sure with his brother. Sans would seem relaxed one moment and tense the next, as if always expecting something. As time had gone on his carefree stance had become a slouch, his feet had started to drag, he had always seemed exhausted despite sleeping almost the entire day away. It was probably invisible to others or casually dismissed, but Papyrus had grown up with Sans as nearly the sole person he ever interacted with and always looked up to him even as he began having to look down to meet him eye-to-eye; any subtle shifts in his demeanor were like flashing neon signs to the tall skeleton. His brother was probably completely unaware of how closely he was monitored. That was…probably for the best, Papyrus mused. As long as Sans was unaware of it, he could still keep an eye on him.

Both skeletons were completely unaware that discussions were drawing to a close and were startled (Papyrus moreso than Sans) to attention when they noticed their friends moving towards the entrance of the building. Once outside and walking in the direction they came from, Toriel relayed the plans one more time to make sure everyone knew what was going on (she had noticed the brothers off in their own little worlds. Part of her wanted to say it was rude to tune out so important a conversation, but they were normally so attentive that she forgave them this once.)

“We have been given…grudging…permission to build within the outskirts of the city. It has also been discussed that, should relations continue to improve, we may purchase existing housing within city limits. Asgore has made it aware that we have no small sum of gold, which seems to be even more valuable to humans than it is to us, which should help our transition greatly. The mayor has also declared that he would host a town hall meeting to discuss with various businesses our ability to work with them and provide a capable and, daresay, exceedingly competent workforce. All we need to do now is return for our store of gold and materials for building our homes. Is everything understood? Does anyone have any questions?”

The group was silent as they walked. Toriel nodded her head, smiling gently.

“Well, then. Let us get to work, shall we?”

She looked down at Frisk, her smile growing as the little human beamed up at her. Tenderly, she wrapped a hand around Frisk’s head, gently running her claws through their hair.

“You have done well, my child. I am so proud of you.”

A warm flush enveloped their face, their eyelashes growing wet with tears. Their hands shakily lifted to gesture at her.

_Thank you. I’m so happy!_

“hey, kid. you got a minute?”

They turned slightly to see Sans giving them his trademark lazy grin, his posture relaxed and his hands shoved inside his jacket pockets. Looking up at Toriel, they eased away from her, smiling gently as they dropped back to where Sans was making up the tail of the small party.

_What’s going on?_

“how come you talk to the humans, but not to us?”

Their smile dropped. They fidgeted uncomfortably, wringing their hands together before untangling them and taking a small breath. Their voice was tiny, much tinier than when they were in the town hall.

“I didn’t mean to make you upset, Sans. I just feel more comfortable signing than talking.”

“then why didn’t you sign with them? they’re human like you.”

From his peripheral vision, Sans noticed Papyrus had turned his head to look at the two of them. Alphys and Undyne had slowed slightly as they listened in. Frisk was quiet for a moment before speaking again.

“I’m not comfortable with them.”

“but why, kid? you’re really more comfortable with a bunch of monsters?”

They seemed to curl in on themselves, hugging their arms around their torso. When they spoke again, it was a whisper.

“Some humans are more monster than they are human.”

All the monsters listening knew they didn’t mean ‘monster’ like them. Sans mentally agreed with the child, his mind’s eye conjuring the glint of a knife and piles of dust. Still, he felt slightly guilty for making them remember something that was obviously painful to them.

“ah…cripes, i’m sorry, kiddo. just keep signin’ away, i won’t ask anymore. c’mere.”

He had to get over his discomfort somehow, right? Still, he instinctively tensed when Frisk launched themselves at him, wrapping their arms around his waist and burying their face in the fur of his collar. Reciting what he remembered of Quantum Theory in Wingdings to keep him grounded, he gingerly laid one hand on the child’s head and placed the other on their shoulder, making short placating gestures. He leaned forward, his mouth settling by their ear. He kept his voice as even as possible, but he knew there was a hint of a growl in there, enough to make Frisk tense, whether in shock or fear he didn’t know, nor did he really care.

“no more resets, right?”

They attempted pulling back, but Sans was incredibly strong despite being much smaller than the other monsters and he held them in place effortlessly. Their voice shook when they whispered back.

“You…you knew?”

“i’ve seen a lot more resets than you have, frisk, let’s just leave it at that. but back to the question. no more resets. **right**?

They nodded so fervently their chin bumped his clavicle, making him wince.

“No more resets. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Coming back up here made it go away, I think. But don’t worry. Even if it ever does come back, I’m never doing that again.”

Sans gradually relaxed, deciding that he’d take the human’s word for it. Maybe they could finally live in peace now. He lifted his eyelights and they met Papyrus’s thoughtful and concerned gaze. Everyone had stopped to look at them, but they didn’t matter, not really. He just focused on his brother and the thought that he might finally be happy.

“good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW does Sans recite in Wingdings? He visualizes it. It's a combination of hand signs and vocalization (as I've seen in other fics) and is therefore more intensive and calming than staying strictly with the Latin alphabet.


	3. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papyrus urges his brother to live a little more or  
> In which Sans realizes something terrible

Monsters were really incredible when they put their minds to a task. As a whole, anyway. Sometimes the dogs were a little scatterbrained and would mess up whatever it is they were working on. But it had taken only a couple of months to get a mid-size settlement set up near the edge of the city. From his vantage point on a small cliff near Mt. Ebott, Sans eyed the monsters’ handiwork with a neutral expression. Call monsters weak, but they were efficient. He really wasn’t sure how he felt about it, even as he felt a certain amount of pride when his gaze landed on the house made for him and Papyrus. It was a quaint little thing, modeled similarly to their old house back in Snowdin, beige in color with dark oak accents with a small garden out front and a red-paneled shed in back that Sans was sure he would convert into a lab at some point. There were still two bedrooms (who needed guest bedrooms? Not them.) and Sans had talked Papyrus down from replicating the absurdly tall sink in the kitchen. If there was ever a (not very likely) time that he would help his brother with something like cooking or washing dishes, he’d like to do so without having to teleport up top. Papyrus could live with bending down a little from time to time. He briefly wondered if that odd white dog would keep popping up around them. He would really like Papyrus to try making lasagna again sometime…spaghetti was great and all, but it was a little concerning when the stuff started showing up in his dreams…and was sentient. It would ‘NYEH!’ like Papyrus…

Shaking his head, Sans used a shortcut to their house, hearing his brother walking around excitedly inside. He must still be unpacking, Sans mused. Opening the door, he felt a grin pull at his mouth as he teleported a foot inside to the left, the pile of his socks landing where he once stood.

“is that any way to greet your best bro?”

“SANS, YOU ARE MY ONLY ‘BRO’. BESIDES, DO YOU EVEN REALIZE HOW DIRTY YOUR ROOM WAS?? I DON’T HAVE A STOMACH AND I WANTED TO EMPTY IT.”

Of course he knew how much of a mess his room was. Sans placed a hand over his chest, feigning hurt.

“my room is organized chaos. it’s not disgusting at all, it’s art.”

“YOU HAVE TERRIBLE TASTE IN ART.”

“bro, i have the best taste, or else i wouldn’t like your spaghetti.”

Papyrus couldn’t resist puffing up in pride.

“NO ONE COULD DISLIKE MY SPAGHETTI, SANS. IT’S A MASTERPIECE.” He gloated.

“absolutely. it’s completely im _pasta_ ble.”

Papyrus’s face fell and his shoulders drooped. 

“OH NO. NOT THIS AGAIN!”

Sans’s grin widened. He felt happiness churn in his gut and privately basked in it.

“ohhhh yes. I’m going to pun you to death and you are going to like it.”

Taking on a defiant stance, his eyesockets squinting to somehow convey mischief, Papyrus held his hands up, fingers curling into claws.

“NOT IF I DON’T TICKLE YOU TO DEATH FIRST!!”

The shorter skeleton snorted tauntingly, faking a condescending sneer.

“not if you can’t catch me, bro.”

Giving a loud screech that Sans supposed was a battlecry, Papyrus launched his body forward, a clawed hand swiping at his jacket. Moving just enough for him to miss, Sans held his hands out to the side, a picture of faux innocence.

“c’mon kitten, ya gotta do better than that.”

Sputtering in surprise, Papyrus nearly lost his balance in the middle of his next swipe. His face flushed bright orange, and he took a confused, if slightly affronted, tone.

“K-KITTEN?”

Oh, that was a good look on him, Sans decided. That was really cute.

“heh, yeah. I mean you’re just clawing at me and you’re bristling so much you might as well have a little bell collar with the name 'snowball' on it. it’s a _purr_ fect comparison if you ask me.”

This was priceless! If Papyrus had ever looked capable of violence, it was now. It probably *should* have been intimidating, but it was just funny at this point. Unable to hold it in anymore, Sans burst out laughing, clutching his sides with the force of his mirth.

“THAT ISN’T FUNNY, SANS.”

“hahaha, i-i think….hahahaha…it’s….pfff– _paw_ fect! hahaha!”

Looking back on it, he probably should have stayed on guard. Hearing a soft short sigh, he attempted to stifle his laughter and apologize but had the air knocked out of him as long bony arms wrapped around his torso and bore him to the ground. Sans landed with a hard ‘oof!’ and silently congratulated his bro for such a solid tackle, despite the pain lancing through his pelvis and scapulae. He cracked open his socket lids and locked onto his brother’s victorious smirk. _‘eh,’_ he conceded. _‘this is a good look for him, too.’_ Sans hadn’t even known Papyrus had the ability to smirk.

“NOT LAUGHING NOW, ARE YOU BROTHER!?”

He smiled softly, affection washing through him.

“nah, not laughing at all. good job, bro.”

Sans swore on everything that existed that his brother’s face lit up brighter than 100 stars.

“NYEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE I’VE DONE A GOOD JOB! I *AM* THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AFTER ALL!”

“heh, you sure are.”

As they lay there, Sans started becoming hyper aware of every place where Papyrus’s body touched his. That…probably wasn’t normal? He shifted uncomfortably.

“hey, uh…bro? you won. you can get off now.”

That was odd, Papyrus thought to himself. He had never heard his brother sound uncomfortable before, and directed towards him much less. His smirk faded until he was simply staring at at his brother, his thoughts sifting quickly through the possible reasons that Sans could direct that tone at him. He was coming up blank.

“ARE YOU OKAY, SANS?”

The surface was doing good things for Papyrus; today alone had brought on a range of expressions that Sans had never seen before. Papyrus was staring so intently at him, seemingly lost in thought despite his voiced question. The part of Sans that he was desperately trying to squish due to its foreign nature was telling him that he liked Papyrus looking at him like that. He wanted his brother’s focus on him, and only him, damn everyone else. His discomfort (nearly) forgotten, he affected a casual tone, his socket lids drooping lazily and a small grin appearing on his face.

“i’m totally fine, paps. never been better.”

Papyrus saw the shift in attitude. Sans was really acting strange! Wait. Was…was Sans blushing? Why, though? Confused and a little uncomfortable now, he leaned up and away, sitting back on his haunches. His brother sat up as well, his eyelights never once leaving him before he seemed to catch himself and turned his head to the side, blushing a little harder.

Discomfort definitely was *not* a good look on Papyrus. Sans felt like such an idiot, letting himself get lost in that weird feeling. What was it? Frowning inwardly, he decided to explore it at length as soon as he was alone and not being scrutinized by his brother.

“hey, sorry. i’m not used to close contact, you know that. you saw how i was with the kid.”

It was true, Papyrus realized. While he was quite exuberant and freely affectionate, he had never had very much physical contact with his brother. There was maybe three or four times that he could remember ever touching Sans and they had been brief. He should have figured it out sooner, he thought as guilt welled up inside him. He had felt comfortable and happy as he held his brother down, happy with his little victory. Sans just wasn’t like him.

“NO, SANS, I SHOULD BE THE ONE APOLOGIZING. I FORGET THAT YOU AREN’T AS OPEN WITH YOUR AFFECTIONS AS I AM.”

“hey, that’s not true.”

“SANS, DO YOU REALIZE THAT THE LAST TIME I HUGGED YOU, I WAS STILL A CHILD?”

Oh, shit. The short skeleton cringed at Papyrus’s words. He had always been so focused on his lab work, trying to fix that thrice-damned machine, grieving over Gaster, worrying about making ends meet, and then the resets…he had never thought about how distant he was. He thought he’d been doing fine, but…apparently not.

“oh. wow. uh. shit, I’m sorry, paps.”

“LANGUAGE, BROTHER.”

“right, right. look, how’s about i start working on that? we’re starting over right?”

Papyrus perked up at that, a smile beginning to bloom across his features. _‘there,’_ Sans thought. _‘that’s much better.’_

“YOU MEAN THAT?”

Feeling a smile of his own on his face, he got to his feet and held open his arms, beckoning Papyrus to him.

“absolutely. bring it in, bro.”

Almost a little too enthusiastically, Papyrus shuffled forward on his knees, wrapping his arms around Sans and squeezing tightly, his cheekbone affectionately nuzzling the fur on Sans collar. _‘man, people really seem to like this damn jacket’_ , Sans groused. _‘then again’_ , he amended, _‘it’s a pretty great jacket.’_ His own arms curled gently around Papyrus’s shoulders, his chin resting on the white armor that his brother never seemed to want to take off. Unbidden, he became aware of how Papyrus smelled; something like tomatoes, leather, and earth. It was…unbelievably pleasant. Before he could get carried away again, he pulled back, signalling for Papyrus to let go as well. Scratching his head sheepishly, he looked down in embarrassment.

“was uh…that okay?”

“IT WAS MAGNIFICENT, SANS. YOU’RE A NATURAL!”

“aw heck. c’mon, it was just a hug.”

“HUGS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MISSING OUT ON, AND I PLAN TO SHOW YOU JUST HOW MUCH IT’LL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE!”

Frowning slightly, he sat back again, scratching along the top of his left hand with his index finger. The words poured out of him, his earlier decision that Sans not know how closely he was watched slipping away from him completely. Sans needed him. And he wanted to be there.

“YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN SO TIRED AND STRESSED, EVEN IF YOU TRY NOT TO SHOW IT, AND EVEN IF YOU SLEEP ALL THE TIME. AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP, I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES THAT YOU’RE NOT HAPPY AND NEVER RIGHT HERE IN THE MOMENT. I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW NICE IT CAN BE. IF YOU’LL LET ME.”

Sans was stunned into silence. How much did Papyrus know? How badly had he done hiding his misery? He felt like such pile of garbage. His brother was never supposed to know that he was anything but content. But…maybe it’d be okay now? Yeah, he decided. He could try it.

“…sure, pap. i can…i can try.”

He looked past Papyrus at the socks strewn all over the floor near the (still—oh god, anyone could have seen that compromising position, Sans thought in horror) open door and started walking towards them, stooping down to pick one up. He held it up for his brother to see, looking towards him with a sheepish smile.

“i guess i can start with these. we had a problem with that before, right?”

Papyrus’s eyesockets narrowed with the force of his smile.

“YOU ARE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS ALREADY!”

Standing up himself, the tall skeleton gave Sans one last beaming grin and began marching happily to his room.

“I’M GOING TO LOOK FOR WORK ON THE INTERNET! FRISK SAYS THERE ARE THINGS CALLED “JOB HUNTING BOARDS” WHERE I CAN FIND EMPLOYMENT IN THE HUMAN CITY!”

“sounds good, bro. good luck.”

“DON’T FORGET YOU’LL NEED TO FIND ONE TOO! THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I WANT US TO DO THAT FRISK HAS TOLD ME ABOUT!”

Holding up one hand in acknowledgement even though Papyrus probably wasn’t even in view anymore, Sans waved idly with his sock pile in one arm, one eyesocket closed and a sigh building up in his chest.

“yeah i got ya. i’ll take a look later.”

After a few moments, Sans sat heavily on his bed, his socks dumped in a duffel bag that he decided would be his laundry bin. He stared hard at the wood-paneled floor, one hand clenching into a fist.

“alright,” he intoned, “time to figure this out.”

Sans was typically good at figuring out his emotions, and very good at solving problems. His analytical mind wasn’t going to just let this rest. Focusing, he searched for that strange feeling inside of him and coaxed it out, allowing it free reign. He thought of what had brought it on in the first place, visualizing his brother’s various expressions, the feel of his body where it had touched his, how good it had felt to have Papyrus focused on him, how strongly he felt about keeping him happy and safe, and how much he wanted Papyrus to always be with him. He knew that he felt anger when Papyrus was upset, sadness when Papyrus was sad, happiness when Papyrus was happy. His brother was everything. And like one of his brother’s puzzles, it clicked.

Oh god. Oh no. Oh nooo. Sans’s eyesockets widened, his hands going slack and his mouth opening slightly. A mix of horror and panic tore at him, in spite of the tiny part of his mind that was saying that he shouldn’t have expected anything less with how utterly twisted he was.

He was attracted to his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is late, I've been freakishly busy ;^;


	4. Adjustments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papyrus gets a job or  
> In which Sans dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Jegus, please forgive me for the horrendous sins I commit this evening/morning. Or not. I'm cool with either.

Sans hadn’t been himself lately, Papyrus noted with dissatisfaction as he delicately sipped at his tea, keeping his eyes on the cup and not on his brother sitting across from him. Despite Sans’s promise to try to be happier now that they were free, he seemed even more hesitant and distant than before. He couldn’t even get close to his brother anymore without Sans porting a couple of feet away, his posture tense all while he tried looking so infuriatingly casual.

   “sorry, bro. i’m still a little jittery about touch, that’s all.”

It was nonsense and Papyrus knew it. He was itching to confront Sans about it, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t go anywhere with how dodgey the short skeleton was being. He would just have to wait.

Papyrus was getting suspicious. Damn it. Sans could see how Papyrus’s gaze would linger on him, his brow ridges dipping down in thought and, at times, worry. He was trying his damnedest to fight off the stupid attraction, but the more he stayed away, the more he felt the need to trail his brother everywhere he went. Papyrus had discovered the joy of regular clothes and it was killing Sans. Humans made so many different types of clothes in so many different types of material and Papyrus had nearly fallen all over himself when he’d discovered the soft fabrics, rubbing them between his fingers and against his cheekbones. The tall skeleton had gotten a lot of attention with his boundless enthusiasm and he’d left the store with a veritable handful of items. Ever since then, he’d been wearing soft button-up shirts and t-shirt/jacket combos, with slacks and slip-on semi-dressy shoes or dark leather boots. He always included his red scarf, and somehow through sheer willpower, he made it work. It was far more concealing than his battle body, but his look was so much smoother and classy that it was driving Sans insane. It was really difficult not to notice how broad his shoulders were or how his legs seemed to go on for miles.

And there was that test of his that Sans followed him to.

_“Alright, skeleton—”_

_“AH, YOU CAN CALL ME PAPYRUS, SIR!”_

_The human proctoring his exam wrinkled his nose but continued on grudgingly._

_“Right. …Papyrus, then. There will be two segments to this examination, one right after the other. Your first task will be to detain a target that it running away. Your second task will be to evade and detain a target that is attempting to harm you. Lethal force is not authorized during either of these exercises. Are we understood?”_

_Sans had wanted to immediately intervene. No way in hell was a human going to attempt to harm Papyrus. Who knew how violent they were? If they came at him with the intent to do harm…_

_“OF COURSE! I’M READY WHENEVER YOU ARE!!”_

_Sans felt a shiver pass through him as a slowly spinning circle of bone appeared behind Papyrus with the tall skeleton bouncing on his heels lightly with a smile as if he wasn’t even paying attention to his weapons manifesting. The proctor squirmed in place uneasily, but regardless pressed a button on a nearby console, a loud blaring horn echoing in the large room._

_And so the exam had begun. A rather skinny man darted out from the side of the building they were in, sprinting as fast as his legs were able towards the exit. Startled into action, Papyrus raised a single arm in an upward sweeping motion and the human shrieked, skidding and falling onto his rump as a wall of blue bone shot up from the ground in front of him. The spinning circle of bone behind the tall skeleton reformed into an arc above his head, pointing itself in the human’s direction. The entire arc flew forward, the bones jamming themselves several inches into the ground, creating a semicircle that effectively pinned the human between it and the wall._

_“PLEASE DON’T MOVE! BLUE MEANS STOP!”_

_Another man ran out of the side of the building, running straight at Papyrus with a fist raised. The poor man seemed uneasy, bordering on afraid, after seeing his pal getting stopped so easily. Taking a single step back, Papyrus outstretched his hand towards the human, wincing when he heard the *ding* of the human’s soul turning blue and he watched with guilt as the poor man crashed to the floor, not expecting the sudden increase in gravity._

_“I HUMBLY REQUEST THAT YOU DON’T TRY TO RUN AT ME AGAIN.”_

_“What…what did you do to me!?” the human shrieked._

_“YOU’RE BLUE NOW. PLEASE DON’T TRY TO FIGHT BACK ANYMORE.”_

_Sans was stunned. He’d always known his brother was strong, but his casual display of power was incredible. Even if these humans had been prepared for monster abilities like Frisk had been (and even then, there weren’t many monsters, if any, that had abilities very much like Pap’s and his), they wouldn’t have been able to take his brother on without taking incredible amounts of damage, possibly even killing them. They were all LV 1, after all. He felt a heady rush of appreciation at the display course through his body. It was beautiful watching Papyrus work. Perhaps this was a good choice for him. The younger skeleton was lightly bouncing on his heels again, his gloved hands folded together in an effort to control his excitement._

_“SO HOW DID I DO? WILL I BE ABLE TO JOIN YOUR GUARD?”_

_The proctor hesitated. Sans narrowed his eyes, readying himself to conduct some ‘diplomacy’ later on if the human turned his brother away simply for being a monster. Sighing to himself, the proctor scratched the back of his head, dragging his hand forward after a second to scratch at the stubble on his chin._

_“Ah, hell. This is weird. I don’t wanna create any issues, but…”_

_Sans tensed._

_“That was probably the quickest and cleanest takedown I’ve ever seen in my 24 years of doing this gig. Say what you want, but you got skill, kid. I’ll pull whatever strings I have to to get you in here. Even if that…bone…stuff…you do weirds me out. The city hall is a pretty relaxed place, so I doubt you’ll have to worry too much about having to do...that.”_

_There were very very few times that Sans could recall Papyrus being stunned into speechlessness. Only one time was caused by him, and that was when he had first given Pap his battle body. The planning had been full of excitement and loud proclamations of grandeur, but actually receiving the suit had been quite different. Papyrus had been quiet, staring at the ensemble with wonder. He’d touched each piece reverently, before placing both hands on Sans’s shoulders and quietly telling him ‘THANK YOU, SANS.’ Then he’d gone back to normal and hugged the ensemble to his chest, running upstairs and immediately trying it on, loudly claiming that he’d never take it off. So far, he’d been *pretty* faithful to that declaration, changing only a few times while the hu—Frisk, had been in the Underground._

_“YOU MEAN IT…? I REALLY GET TO JOIN YOUR GUARD?”_

_The man snorted softly, crossing his arms._

_“It’s nothing special, kid. It’s just a security guard gig.”_

_“OH, YOU COULD NOT BE MORE WRONG! I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD BUT UNDYNE REFUSED BECAUSE SHE FELT MY TALENTS WERE BETTER USED IN COOKING. WHILE I AM INDEED A CHEF OF THE HIGHEST DEGREE, THERE WAS NOTHING I WANTED MORE THAN TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD. I’D BECOME POPULAR! I’D GET FRIENDS! I’D…I’D MAKE MY BROTHER PROUD. SO, YES, SIR HUMAN, THIS IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT TO ME!”_

_He’d wanted to join the guard because of him? That was definitely not doing good things for the degree of affection he had for Papyrus. ‘oh, pap. you never had to do anything to impress me. you were already so much better than i could ever be.’_

_“Yeah. Yeah, alright. If it’s this important to you, I’ll definitely get you in. Can’t go around destroying kids’ dreams, now can I?”_

_Before the human could comprehend what was happening, Papyrus had swept him up in his arms, squeezing tightly._

_“THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU WILL NOT REGRET THIS!!”_

_Coughing, the man awkwardly patted Papyrus on the shoulder._

_“One hell of a grip, kid. You’re welcome.”_

_“JUST WAIT UNTIL SANS HEARS ABOUT THIS!”_

_“That your brother’s name?”_

_“YES!”_

_“And you’re…Papyrus, was it?”_

_“YOUR MEMORY IS IMPECCABLE, SIR HUMAN!”_

_“The name is Richard, kid. I’ll probably end up being your mentor while you get trained.”_

_“I WILL DO MY BEST, SIR RICHARD!”_

_Richard’s face twisted in an expression that was half amusement, half discomfort._

_“Just…Richard. Okay?”_

_Papyrus looked confused, but nodded anyway._

_“OF COURSE, RICHARD.”_

_“There we go. Come with me, you have paperwork you need to fill out. You uh…you know how to write in English, right? You seem to speak it just fine.”_

_“WRITING IS NO PROBLEM FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS! ALTHOUGH I’M NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY ‘ENGLISH’. I KNOW THE LANGUAGE OF THE ABOVEGROUND. ARE THERE MORE DIALECTS?”_

_“Yeah. A lot more. Anyway, you’ll probably be fine. Let’s go.”_

_There was indignant shrieks behind them._

_“What about us!?”_

_Blushing in embarrassment, Papyrus hurried back to where the humans were laid out, the bones dissipating harmlessly and the gravity magic releasing from the other human’s soul._

_“I AM SO SORRY! PLEASE DON’T BE UPSET WITH ME, I GOT SO CAUGHT UP IN MY OWN EXCITEMENT…”_

_The human that had been trapped scoffed and slapped Papyrus’s proffered hand away, the tall skeleton snatching the stinging appendage to his chest, a hurt expression on his face. Sans’s fist clenched, his brow ridges drawing down in an expression of anger. He dedicated the human’s face to memory, promising himself that he’d give the human a gentle reminder that rudeness wasn’t necessary. Richard frowned at the exchange, but shook his head and gestured for Papyrus again._

_“Don’t pay them any mind. I’ve got four other interviews and a mountain of paperwork to do, AND we gotta get you fitted for a uniform. We need to get this over with.”_

_“AH-! YES, OF COURSE, I’M SORRY.”_

_Sans had only left when his brother had disappeared from his sight. He had smiled politely when Papyrus told him about his day later on, congratulating him on his new job, ensuring him that yes, he would go looking for his own very soon._

There were more and more things that he was noticing about Papyrus and it was killing him. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to subject his brother to his depravity. He didn’t want to _see_ his brother this clearly.

   “SANS.”

His head snapped up, holding back a wince when he saw the concerned expression on his brother’s face. He’d already gathered that Papyrus was more observant than he let on, and here he was practically displaying his trash for him to dig through.

   “sorry bro, i’ve had a lot on my mind. not been feeling that good. i’ve seen the way people look at you, and it…bothers me.”

   “LOOK AT ME? LOOK AT ME HOW?”

For all intents and purposes, he was telling the truth. Just not the actual thing that was bothering him. That was his burden, and his alone. And he’d take it with him to his grave.

   “they’re afraid of you, bro. they’re disgusted. and i’m not really down with that, cos you’re the coolest bro ever.”

   “OH, SANS.”

Papyrus walked over to Sans and held him to his body gently, immediately feeling the short skeleton tense up under him. Sighing softly, he pulled back, putting his hands on Sans’s shoulders.

   “IT WILL BE OKAY, BROTHER. ADJUSTMENTS TAKE TIME. WE CAN’T EXPECT THEM TO TAKE TO US IMMEDIATELY, NO MATTER HOW FRIENDLY WE ARE. MY EXAMINATION TAUGHT ME THAT. I WILL NOT JUDGE THEM FOR IT, AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU.”

So optimistic, and yet oddly realistic. Sans closed his eyes, huffing to himself.

   “yeah, i guess you’re right again, bro.”

He pulled himself away, sliding a hand underneath his hood to scratch against his neck bones.

   “i’m gonna rest for a while. i’ll…mull it over, alright?”

   “REST WELL, SANS.”

Once he was in his room, Sans dropped his weight on his bed like a stone, draping a hand over his eyes and sighing to himself again. At the rate he was going, he was going to have to rename himself to Hot Air.

That was lame. Chuckling mirthlessly, he sighed one more time and tried clearing his mind of all the thoughts that were troubling him. He wasn’t aware of when he finally slipped away to sleep.

* * *

 

When Sans woke, he noticed he felt heavy…not a sensation he was entirely comfortable with. That would hinder his movement, make him a vulnerable target. He couldn’t be vulnerable, not with the kid still…no. No, wait, they were free. So if they were free, he could relax, right? He let his tense posture relax, and felt the weight grow heavier. That was odd, and yet, a part of his sleep-addled brain told him that this was okay. There was a flash of internal panic when his mouth opened on its own and he spoke.

   “up.”

The weight lifted. He sat up and opened his eyes, looking down on the weight that was now sitting demurely on the floor. Oh, he was screaming inside now, seeing his brother sitting at the foot of his bed, silently waiting for instruction. Why couldn’t he control his body!? He was standing now, looking down at Papyrus and he caught sight of the bright red collar (with a little bell too, how nice) that was sitting prettily around his neck. Sans brought up a hand and gently stroked alongside his pet’s skull, watching in satisfaction as Pap’s eyes closed.

   “i will never get tired of this. look at you; such an obedient pet.”

   “THANK YOU, BROTHER.” Papyrus murmured.

   “and so polite, too. i think you should be rewarded.”

Papyrus was hanging on every word and Sans felt a rush of power. This could be addicting…He sat back down near the edge of the bed and spread his legs open, resting a hand along his femur while his other hand was held out to his brother.

   “come here.”

Without a word, Papyrus shuffled forward, the bell on his collar jingling quietly, his cheekbones now stained with orange. He lifted one large gloved hand and placed it on Sans’s other thigh and looked up at him, waiting for permission to continue. Sans’s outstretched hand curled around the back of Papyrus’s skull, stroking fondly and he watched as his precious brother’s eyesockets became half-lidded in pleasure. Internally, he was begging himself to stop, but continued watching in a sort of twisted fascination. Is this what it would be like if he and Papyrus ever…? Adding a small amount of pressure, he dragged Papyrus’s head forward until the tall skeleton had to bend his spine, stopping once his cheekbone was resting near the top of Sans’s left femur. Removing his hand, he hooked a finger inside the hem of his shorts where a blue glow was already becoming visible. He felt his entire body becoming washed with cold, magic and arousal swirling inside him.

   “now, pap…” he freed himself from the confines of his shorts and leaned back, a flustered grin pulling at the corner of his mouth.

   “suck.”

He could feel himself tensing, waiting somewhat impatiently as Papyrus glanced up at him one more time before his gaze went back down to the glowing blue dick that was only a couple of inches away. Papyrus leaned up slightly, his cheekbone coming to rest against Sans’s shaft, nuzzling it almost affectionately.

   “papyrus? stop playing around.”

   “YES, OF COURSE. I’M SORRY, MASTER.”

That word. It sent a shock of pleasure straight down to his groin and he groaned softly, holding his left hand up to his face, while staring down at Papyrus as the tall skeleton finally opened his mouth. _‘Such a nice orange tongue,’_ Sans thought to himself. Now if it’d just hurry and wrap around--- his thought process was cut off as Papyrus delicately licked at the tip of his dick, his tongue dancing across the slit before going down to the base and lightly nibbling.

   “nngh, fuck. paps…”

   “YES,” his tongue danced across the shaft and circled under the head, “MASTER?”

The little tease sounded so pleased with himself. Sans couldn’t help the moan that escaped his throat. Papyrus was so _good_ at this…

   “just. keep going. please.”

   “AS YOU WISH…”

And then his mouth opened all the way and ever so slowly, he started to take Sans in, his tongue wrapping around so beautifully and god he was so _hot_ \---

Sans woke with a start, his chest heaving and his eyes wide, blue magic escaping his left socket in thick swirls. An agonized groan clawed its way out of him and he flopped back down onto his bed, his hands coming up to dig their heels into his closed eyesockets.

   “damn it, not again…”

It was the fifth wet dream he’d had in the last two months ever since he'd realized his issue, and half of them had included that damn collar that he’d joked about. Not that he’d ever allow his feelings to become obvious, but if, in some alternate universe, they had ended up together, he couldn’t realistically imagine himself controlling his brother like that, no matter how hot is was. Papyrus deserved to be loved and cared for, caressed and kissed and made love to, not fucked. He rubbed his legs together agitatedly, feeling his dick straining against his shorts. He’d resisted admirably, always willing his hard-ons away before taking a shower and praying to everything that the water would wash off his sins, and take his disgusting desire to love his brother in a more-than-brotherly fashion with them. But as time passed, his will broke a little more. And now…now he couldn’t help it anymore. There was no way in hell, though, that he would touch himself. He didn’t deserve that kind of satisfaction, not for the kind of sick and perverted thoughts that got him going.

With a sort of defeated moan, Sans rolled over onto his front, resting on his forearms and his back arching slightly. He guided his pillow towards his thighs, his legs clenching around them almost automatically. There was some hesitation as Sans tried moving his hand away. The part of him that was desperately crying out for release was telling him that his hand was already there, he could just reach over and begin stroking, make all his problems go away. He’d hate himself more if he did it---maybe he deserved that hatred?? No! He wasn’t going to trick himself into giving in; that’d just be more pathetic than if he’d simply obeyed his lust. The short skeleton’s hand flew up and dug into the sheetless bed (he’d never bothered putting sheets on. Papyrus hated that.) and without any more hesitation he began grinding against the pillow, his mouth falling open to show his blue tongue. Gods, he had needed this friction so badly, but he needed more, so he leaned up further, his hands gripping the edges of the pillow, and he started thrusting harder against the soft material. His chin was tucked into his chest, and his breaths came out in harsh gasps. All he could see was Papyrus in that damned bright red collar, could only see that demure and pleased expression on his face as he sat between his knees.

   “paps, oh god, paps…nnn…”

He should’ve probably been afraid of his brother walking in on him, of hearing him say his name in such a lewd tone, but he knew it was very early in the morning, too early for even his rooster of a brother. It’s not like his clouded mind would have even cared; he was too into it now, too absorbed in feeling good, imagining everything he’d do to his precious sibling. Sans let his thoughts go back to the dream and very faintly he could imagine the dream continuing; he could hear pap whispering "please" over and over again until there was a sharp cry and slick obscene sounds timed with the faint clack of bone against bone. He could hear his own harsh breathing, him telling papyrus what a good pet he was, how beautiful he was, how good he felt. His thrusts against the pillow grew ragged, his mouth open and his eyes screwed shut as if in pain.

   “pappy…ohhhh….i want you so fucking bad…”

The dream in his head continued out of his control, the Papyrus in his head moaning and crying out and gasping, all punctuated with more pleas and calls of his name. He was _begging_.

   “anything…you…want…oh god, papyrus…”

A shock of pleasure raced down his spine when the imaginary voice moaned almost directly in his ear and his hands tightened around the pillow in a deathgrip, his hips jerking as he finally came. He kept himself braced on his shaking arms, trying to catch his breath as he stared down at the cum splattered beneath him. He’d came all over his pillow…to the thought of fucking his brother. Residual waves of his orgasm warred with the sickening twist of shame in his gut and he ripped the pillow away from himself, tossing it across the room where he wouldn’t have to see it anymore. Flopping onto his back, he stared at the ceiling, cursing himself for the hundredth time.

   “god damn it…”


	5. Seaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sans sets an example or  
> In which Papyrus starts feeling confused

_“Someone help, she’s drowning!”_

Sans looked over in the direction of the scream and lifted a single finger straight up in the beginnings of a ‘come here’ motion, his hand and eye lighting up with magic. The body lifted from the water and was deposited gently at the edge of the water, its flailing ceasing as soon as it was lifted. He wasn’t exactly sure how well-received his flagrant use of magic would be, but it was the simplest thing he could do, and it was a lot more efficient than going out there himself.

“Uh, well. Alright then, Mr. Sans, that was a lot faster than we were expecting.”

   “just sans, buddy. ‘mr.’ makes me feel old.”

   “Did you just fucking levitate me?”

The short skeleton’s eyelights dragged over to the human he’d “rescued” for his little test. She was standing up now, barely taller than him, though much leaner in shape. Her short black hair and glittering green eyes, along with her tiny frame gave Sans the impression of a mischievous imp or a fairy. The large excited grin on her face was a little contagious, making Sans’s own semi-permanent grin get wider.

   “heh, yeah i guess you could call it that.”

   “That was so cool!! Could you do it again? It was like I was in water…but in the air!”

Maybe not all humans were bad, Sans decided. This one seemed a little hyperactive, like his…damn it. He was NOT supposed to be thinking of Papyrus right now. Shaking the image of his brother’s smiling face from his mind, he cocked his head to the side and crooked his finger again, his socket lids drooping slightly into a relaxed expression. Blue-tinged magic encircled the human and she yelped as her feet left the ground, but quickly dissolved into giggles as she tried twisting her body around in the air.

   “This is amazing! Adrian! We can keep him, right? He’d probably be the best lifeguard on duty, if we’re being honest here.”

The man in charge of the interview crossed his arms, his chin bowed in thought. He was a tall and lean fellow, still rather young as far as adults went, with sandy blonde hair and eyes the color of those cinnamon bunnies Sans used to eat all the time.

   “I dunno, Steph. You may think it’s cool, but I don’t think everyone will be as accepting, ya know? Effective as it may be, it’s something not a lot of people have seen.”

Steph furrowed her brows and gently requested that Sans put her down. He complied readily. He was starting to feel the slight pull of his magic, anyway. The girl crossed her arms like Adrian and began tapping her foot agitatedly.

   “What would they rather be? Uncomfortable? Or dead?”

   “Steph it’s not that easy and you know it. People don’t think logically when they’re scared.”

   “I still think we should give him a chance!”

Before the argument could escalate any further, Sans spoke, holding his hands out apologetically.

   “look, i don’t wanna be the cause of any fighting. if my working for you guys is gonna cause issues, i’ll just step out. don’t wanna make any _waves_ , ya get me?”

Both of the humans stared at him silently for a moment, blinking a few times as they processed what he said. Steph leaned her neck down slightly, tilting her head to the side.

   “Did you just…make an ocean pun?”

Sans shrugged to himself, his grin morphing into a smirk.

   “mebbe i did. _water_ you gonna do bout it?”

The small skeleton could see Adrian struggling not to smile. Someone that could appreciate his humor? Sign him the hell up.

   “i know things are different up here. there are gonna be people who get _crabby_ with me, and i’m alright with that, _reely_. if i have to, i can _scale_ back my magic, only use it when necessary. that sound good?”

Not able to control himself anymore, Adrian burst into a fit of laughter, his arms going to wrap around his middle. Steph joined in too, doing her best to hide her giggles behind her hand.

   “Oh man…you…you have got to be _squiddin’_ me. Alright that _seal_ ed the deal. You’re onboard. I can’t not hire you now that you’ve _hooked_ me with those puns.”

Sans immediately liked Adrian. He clutched at his shirt, hamming up the emotion on his face.

   “you’re krilling me here. i’ve never met someone with as much skill with punning as you. i’m honored.”

Another round of laughter. Steph sidled up to Sans and winked down at him.

   “You’re gonna fit in here, Sans. I promise. And if anyone gives you issues, just tell me. I’ll give em’ the ol’ one-two!”

   “Easy there, kitten. You bring the problem to me, alright? I don’t wanna have to fire you.”

Sans cringed when Adrian said ‘kitten’, his mind flashing images of collars and orange-tinted cheekbones. Fidgeting uncomfortably, he mentally calculated the time and wondered if he could arrive home before Pap so he could bash his head into the wall repeatedly without arousing suspicion. But no, he had other things he needed to do and he was running out of time.

   “yeah, i’ll do that. i don’t think i fore _sea_ any issues, but i’ll keep it in mind. but hey, is there anything else i need to do before i get out of here?”

The two humans looked at each other one more time before looking back to Sans. Adrian shook his head in a negative, scratching along his chin with a faint smile.

   “Don’t think I didn’t _catch_ that pun. Nah, paperwork will be filled out your first day, and you’ll get whatever little supplies you need, like a whistle or megaphone. You’re free to go.”

   “great, thanks. see ya.”

With a quick wave of his hand, he turned his back on the duo and walked away from them, heading back the way he came. Steph leaned her head towards Adrian, lowering her tone and hoping Sans wouldn’t hear.

   “He seems to be in a bit of a hurry all of a sudden, don’t you think?”

   “Yeah, weird…” Adrian murmured back.

 

* * *

 

For the last two weeks, Sans had monitored the human’s movements, watching when he entered work, when he left work, when he’d leave for smoke breaks (sickeningly often, in Sans’s modest opinion, but hey, if the human wanted to destroy themselves, by all means)…he was always by himself, which perfectly suited Sans’s needs. His little lesson was long overdue. He waited until the human (who he’d learned was named Frank) was going on his 4th (and final) smoke break of the day, and watched as the man slouched against the wall of the alley behind the city hall, taking a drag of his cigarette. Sans took a quick shortcut and perched himself on the overhang that protected the back door and hollowed out his voice, his eyelights fading from existence.

   “ **y o u  k n o w. i  d o n ‘ t  r e a l l y  l i k e  r u d e  p e o p l e.** ”

His voice echoed in the alley and the human jumped away from the wall, his cigarette falling out of his hands.

   “W-who’s there!?”

   “ **n o  o n e  i m p o r t a n t. b u t  y o u  h u r t  s o m e o n e  w h o  i s.** ”

The human looked properly nervous now. Their eyes were darting all over the alley, searching for the source of the echoing voice. Sans chuckled out loud, dark and low.

   “I-I-I didn’t do anything!!”

   “ **s e e, y o u ‘ r e  w r o n g  t h e r e. y o u  h u r t  h i m.** ”

He ported down to the entry of the alleyway, his shoulders hunched and his hood up, the white fur lining taking a reddish glow in the fading sunlight.

All the human could see was a demonic shape at the end of the alley haloed in red, with a single blue eye glowing in the dark space where he assumed a head would be. When he blinked, the figure was gone.

   “ **m y  b r o  i s  a  n i c e  g u y.** ”

When the human turned, the figure was there again and its hand was raised towards its chest, skeletal appendages lit up in what looked like blue mist. He could see a hint of bones around the figure’s hand. The poor man’s mind jumped back to the skeleton that had trapped him in a ring of bone before. Bro…? Oh, hell. When he opened his mouth to talk again, the figure disappeared again. Not willing to deal with how creepy it was anymore, he decided to make a run for it, but felt his entire body crumple to the ground after hearing a ‘ding’ noise. It felt like he weighed three times as much as he used to. He strained against the feeling, feebly lifting a hand to place flat against the ground. After a few seconds, he managed to raise his head enough to see rather worn slippers a foot away from his nose. Then they were gone again.

   “ **i  j u s t  w a n t  t o  r e m i n d  y o u  o f  s o m e t h i n g. t h e r e  i s  s u c h  a  t h i n g  a s  b e i n g  c i v i l.  p r a c t i c e  i t.** ”

The weight was gone from his body and he scrambled to his feet, now scared out of his mind. He felt eyes burning into his back and he whirled around, sweat dripping down his face.

   “ **i f  y a  d o n ‘ t . . . l e t ‘ s  j u s t  s a y . . .** ”

The human turned back around and came face to face with a large draconic skull that had a single glowing blue eye and mist seeping from between its jaws. He swore he could hear a disembodied growl echoing around him.

   “ **i  w o n ‘ t  b e  s o  n i c e.** ”

Not trusting his voice, the human nodded frantically, taking tiny steps backward. He bumped into a solid figure and froze. There was a soft chuckle behind him.

   “good. i’m glad we understand each other.”

The large skull faded from existence and he watched the figure walk around to face him from his peripheral vision. It was shorter than he thought. The figure’s hands raised and lowered the hood that was covering its head, exposing a round skull that had a lazy expression on its face. Skeleton. Just like the other one. So ‘bro’ was definitely not an affectionate term and had literal meaning. The short skeleton patted him on the chest with the back of their hand lightly, turning away and walking towards the end of the alley.

   “i’ll be keepin tabs. see ya ‘round, Frank.”

With another blink, the skeleton was gone. The human took a shaky breath and sank to the ground against the wall, clutching at his knees. It had been tracking him. All because he had been rude to its ‘brother’. Christ. And it would be watching. Shivering to himself, he slowly picked himself back up and dragged himself inside.

 

* * *

 

Sans dropped to the ground near the fridge at their house, his breaths slightly laboured. He’d been using too much magic today and hadn’t eaten anything. Lolling his head in the direction of the fridge, he twitched his hand and the door opened, dragging a carton of orange juice and a cinnamon roll from the highest shelf towards him with his magic. They weren’t as tasty as the cinnabuns from the shopkeeper in Snowdin, but they would make do. A couple of minutes passed by quietly, the silence punctuated only by the sounds of him eating and his still-heavy breathing. He felt a flash of panic when he heard the front door open and quickly got to his feet, clutching the carton in his hand tightly. His brother didn’t need to see him weakened like this.

   “SANS!”

He fought to keep his voice even.

   “yeah, bro?”

   “COME HERE, I WISH TO GET YOUR OPINION!”

Heaving a quiet breath, he dragged himself from the kitchen and froze in the doorway when he saw his brother. He had his uniform. His soul began racing under his shirt. Papyrus was looking at him with with a small satisfied smile, the clothes hugging his lean shape in ways that Sans really hadn’t wanted to entertain.

   “LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, SANS?”

Sans nearly choked on air.

   “w-what?”

   “I SAID HOW DO I LOOK, SANS?”

   “oh. uh. you look great pap. really.”

He really did. The gray slacks accentuated his long legs and the black long-sleeved ribbed sweater hugged Papyrus’s shape snugly, his collared shirt and tie only slightly poking out from underneath the collar of the sweater. A patch rested on each arm, one blue and silver and representing some sort of flag, the other a black and yellow shield that held the town’s name. When his eyelights finally rested on Papyrus’s face, he noticed that Papyrus was equally focused on him, more specifically, his chest. Sans remained frozen in place as his brother took long strides towards him, stopping only when he stood directly in front of him. He jumped slightly when he felt Papyrus place a shockingly bare hand against his shirt where his soul should be. A somewhat flustered blush made its way up his cheekbones.

   “SANS, YOU’RE BREATHING HARD. AND YOUR SOUL IS BEATING SO FAST. WHAT’S WRONG?”

   “it’s…nothing, bro.”

   “SANS, I CAN HANDLE YOU LYING TO ME ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, BUT NOT ABOUT THIS.”

He flinched harshly, then sighed to himself, allowing himself this one guilty pleasure and placing his hand on top of Papyrus’s.

   “i overdid it today.”

   “THIS WILL NOT STAND!”

   “wha--?”

Suddenly, he was in Papyrus’s arms and being carried over to the couch in the living room and he clutched at the thick material of the sweater, his inner masochist reveling in the contact. When he was safely placed on the plush cushions of the couch, he looked up at Papyrus who was holding his face in his hands. He smiled weakly.

   “did…you just make a pun?”

Flushing a deep orange, Papyrus sputtered a little then recovered, attempting to look dignified.

   “I’M MAKING AN EXCEPTION FOR YOU THIS ONCE. YOU’RE IN NO CONDITION FOR ME TO FIGHT YOU AS I USUALLY DO IN YOUR ATROCIOUS PUNNERY.”

Sans huffed lightly in amusement, his soul fluttering at the intimate contact. God, he shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as he is.

   “real sweet of you, bro. i appreciate it.”

There was a moment of silence, and he closed his eyes as Papyrus ran his thumbs over his cheekbones.

   “SANS, ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY?”

   “yeah…i’m feeling pretty good right now.”

Another beat of silence.

   “WHAT HAPPENED?”

   “i didn’t eat. and i was taking a lot of shortcuts. i used a lot of magic during my exam. but hey, i got the job, so hooray for the small things, eh?

Papyrus’s eyes lit up, crinkling upward in affection and pride. His voice remained subdued.

   “CONGRATULATIONS, BROTHER. I’M VERY HAPPY FOR YOU.”

   “thanks, pap.”

His soul started fluttering again when Papyrus touched their foreheads together, his blue flush becoming more prominent.

   “paps…?”

   “I WORRY ABOUT YOU, SANS.”

   “you don’t have to, trust me. i ain’t worth it.”

The tall skeleton’s grip on his face tightened and Sans briefly saw his eyes light up in orange and he felt his own magic respond in kind, crawling along his limbs and coiling where his gut would be.

   “SANS. YOU ARE WORTH IT ALL, AND IF I HAVE TO SPEND EVERY MINUTE OF THE REST OF MY LIFE PROVING IT TO YOU, I WILL.”

Self-loathing and disgust warred with the warm wave of appreciation inside him and he closed his eyes against the feeling.

   “thank you, papyrus…”

   “YOU ARE VERY WELCOME, SANS.”

The hands at his face dropped to his shoulders and curled around them, dragging him forward into a hug. Where Sans had always been cool, borderline cold, Papyrus was nothing but warmth. Warmth and happiness, comfort and contentment. He allowed himself the contact, sighing softly at how good it felt.

Papyrus felt a surge of surprise at Sans’s acceptance and felt happiness curl around his soul at the contact. His brother would be happy yet! He leaned back from the hug and took in Sans’s relaxed expression.

   “NOW, I DON’T SUPPOSE YOU’VE EATEN SOMETHING TO GET YOUR ENERGY BACK?”

   “i…had a cinnamon roll and some OJ.”

Standing to his full height, Papyrus placed his hands on his hips, making a mock-frown.

   “YOU NEED SOMETHING FAR MORE FILLING THAN THAT, SANS. I WILL GO MAKE YOU SOMETHING RIGHT AWAY. STAY HERE.”

   “bro, you don’t have to…”

   “NONSENSE! I WILL HAVE A MEAL PREPARED THAT WILL PROMOTE YOUR RECOVERY!”

Without listening to another word of protest, Papyrus made his way over to the kitchen, opening cabinets and digging around in the fridge for ingredients. Silly brother, of course he was going to take care of him! He hm’ed and haw’ed as he worked on his signature dish, occasionally humming to himself tunelessly. His brother had seemed so tired today, far more tired than what just a few shortcuts would cause. Sans was still hiding things from him. What was he doing that would tax him so? Why would he push himself so hard? Questions swirled around in Papyrus’s head, the skeleton eventually coming to a complete stop in the middle of the kitchen. He wanted Sans to be okay. He wanted to take care of him. And he wasn’t going to let Sans’s insecurity get in the way of that care! Nodding to himself, he finished preparing the dish and made up a plate for Sans to eat. Setting it down on the table, he made his way to the living room, halfway through saying his brother’s name. He stopped when he got sight of the couch, of his brother exactly the way he left him, his eyes closed and posture completely relaxed. He was deeply asleep.

Sighing softly, Papyrus moved forward and gently gathered the small skeleton in his arms, carrying him up towards his room and depositing him on the bed. The pillow was balled up and shoved in the corner of the bed against the wall. It looked like it had been punched several times. Clucking his tongue, he pulled the pillow out of its corner and straightened it out, fluffing it slightly. As he held the pillow, he caught sight of some odd faded blue stains on the fabric. Frowning to himself and trying to recall when Sans had ever drooled, he brought the pillow up to his nose and sniffed lightly, wondering if perhaps it was food instead. The scent was weak, but he could definitely identify the familiar musky smell of release. He’d done it enough on his own. He wasn’t _that_ naïve, after all. Blushing hard, he flipped the pillow over and hastily deposited it on the bed, lifting Sans’s head and tucking the pillow under it. As quietly as possible, he exited Sans’s room and made his way back downstairs, fighting down the heat in his cheekbones. It was something everyone did, right? So why did he feel so embarrassed thinking about Sans doing it? Shaking his head, he put the idea from his mind and took the plate on the table back to the kitchen, wrapping it gently in saran wrap and sticking it in the fridge. He followed suit with the rest of the food. At least there’d be plenty of leftovers? He paused briefly as an image of Sans hunched over his bed, panting and groaning flashed in his head. Putting his bare hands over his eye sockets, he groaned lightly.

Why wouldn’t the thought leave? He didn’t have time for this, he had work tomorrow. Maybe Sans had the right idea and sleep would be for the best. Yes. For the best.

 

* * *

 

_“We’re running out of specimens.”_

_“There aren’t any more monsters volunteering. This might be the only group we will receive.”_

_“Unacceptable. If they will not volunteer, we will find some that will not be missed.”_

_“Sir, the king and queen of the monsters are very intimidating. What if they find out?”_

_“We will deal with that when the time comes. This is an entire species that is as of yet unexplored, with abilities that go beyond our wildest dreams. If we can figure out how they work…”_

_“I’m…not sure I like this anymore, sir.”_

_“If you no longer wish to participate, I will find someone else. You can escort yourself out.”_

_“…I understand, sir. I will be off the premises in an hour.”_

_*click*_

_*rustle*_

_“Make sure he doesn’t leave the place alive.”_

_“…understood.”_


	6. Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a dire situation presents itself or  
> In which Sans breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry

Papyrus smiled happily to himself as he went down the steps leading to City Hall. Another day, successfully completed by the Great and Powerful Papyrus! …not that he did all that much, but what little he did do, he was very good at it if he said so himself!

The human named John had started keeping him company during his lunch break as well as whenever he’d had spare time, constantly asking questions about the Underground and about Alphys and Undyne. He really was quite a pleasure to talk to, always cracking lame jokes and going on rants about his favorite human movies, even mentioning a few of his own friends. He seemed to have no shortage of those, apparently, and when he spoke of them, he always had a bright, fond smile on his face. It was no wonder he was so popular; the young man radiated friendliness and kindness.

_When Papyrus had asked if he knew any spectacular fighting moves, he had sheepishly scratched the back of his head and shrugged lightly, saying he used to, but not anymore. He was still somewhat decent with a hammer, though!_

_“But I mean it’s not like I really need a hammer. Just fun to swing around, I guess! Hehe.”_

_“BUT WHY DID YOU STOP PRACTICING, JOHN HUMAN?”_

_John froze for a fraction of a second and scrunched his eyebrows, looking up at Papyrus from the corner of his eye with a crooked twist of his lips._

_“It’s just John, okay? You don’t have to remind me of my human-ness all the time, you know!”_

_“OH! SORRY, JOHN. BUT BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING! WHY DID YOU STOP PRACTICING YOUR MOVES? IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO STAY SHARP!”_

_“I just…didn’t need it? And well. Stuff happened and I kind of…forgot, a little. I don’t remember how to even try those moves anymore.”_

_Papyrus frowned to himself, wondering what could happen that could make John forget something as important as how to fight. But he wouldn’t pry._

_“THAT’S UNFORTUNATE. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SPAR WITH YOU! UNDYNE DOESN’T REALLY HAVE TIME ANYMORE, NOT AFTER BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER PERSONAL TRAINERS AT THE GYM DOWNTOWN. WERE YOU STRONG?”_

_John smiled faintly to himself and adjusted his blue tie, standing up straighter._

_“You could say I was pretty **godly**.”_

_He chuckled to himself as if there was an inside joke in there somewhere. Papyrus wasn’t even going to try and figure that one out._

_“THAT IS DOUBLY UNFORTUNATE, THEN!”_

_“Ehehe, yeah, I guess so…”_

_There was a brief moment where something like nostalgia or sadness flashed behind John’s glasses, but it faded. Papyrus let that go as well. Everyone had things they needed to keep to themselves, and given John’s odd memory lapses, there was a good chance he wouldn’t even remember why he was sad…at least, that’s what Papyrus told himself._

  “Hey, Papyrus!”

Papyrus looked up from the step he’d stopped on, snapping out of his reverie. He hadn’t even realized he’d stopped moving. Alphys and Undyne were looking up at him from their position at the bottom of the steps, both their faces grim. Alphys fidgeted nervously.

  “You looked a little lost in thought. I-I’m guessing you heard, huh?”

Heard?

  “HEARD WHAT?”

The couple looked at each other, then back at Papyrus. Undyne cleared her throat and made a beckoning motion.

  “You should come with us, Papyrus. Asgore and Toriel want to have a meeting.”

Drawing his brow ridges together in concern, Papyrus followed behind them as they started walking away.

  “WHAT ABOUT SANS?”

Alphys smiled to herself softly, her inner fangirl ignoring the concept of familial concern.

_‘Something serious and the first thing he thinks of is Sans. Sooooo cute!’_

  “He’s already there. He wanted to come get you himself, but we offered first.”

  “OH. WELL ALRIGHT, THEN.”

* * *

Asgore sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping and his face lined with stress. He looked around the spacious living room, normally warm and inviting with its cream walls and caramel trim, its plush furniture and potted golden flowers, but he took no comfort in it. Sans was leaning against the recliner Papyrus was primly sitting on, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. Toriel was standing a small distance away from the loveseat he himself was slumped against, her expression dancing between anger, sadness, confusion, and worry. The final pair of monsters in the room were sitting thigh to thigh on the couch across from Papyrus. Undyne and Alphys were doing mildly better since they’d already been told in confidence, but Undyne still looked angry and Alphys frightened.

  “I didn’t expect something like this to ever happen, but I felt that it was important that you know. We’re informing small groups of monsters at a time in an attempt to keep panic low.”

Undyne was staring at Sans, noting how he’d gone completely rigid and his eyelights had become glued to Papyrus. It was like he was afraid that his brother would disappear at any moment. Of course, she was on high alert, too, but that sort of hypervigilance seemed odd, even for Sans. Especially for Sans. Was there something she was missing? Papyrus was very calm in comparison, his mouth set in a thoughtful frown and his browridges creased even lower than before. He slowly wrung his hands together in a way that reminded her of Alphys.

  “ARE…ARE WE SURE IT’S REALLY HUMANS THAT ARE DOING THIS? FROM WHAT I’VE SEEN, THE ABOVEGROUND IS A VERY BIG PLACE! MAYBE THEY JUST…DECIDED TO EXPLORE?”

Toriel shook her head sadly, disappointment sinking into her features.

  “The ones that have disappeared are normally very competent and responsible monsters. It would make no sense for them to suddenly fail to show up for work, or to not go home to their families. Not only that, but the monsters that have disappeared are also those who turned down requests to participate in the studies the scientists are performing.”

Alphys shivered to herself and meekly raised a clawed hand.

  “I-I don’t want to m-make this sound worse than it a-already is, b-but…the monsters who _did_ agree to the study have not returned. It..it had been promised that the study would only last two w-weeks, at most.”

  “alphys.”

She looked over to Sans and shivered again at the dark expression on his face.

  “we’re both scientists. we know how their minds work. what do we do when we are presented with something new, something that we’re not sure how it functions?”

She gulped nervously before answering, already dreading what he was going to say. 

  “We…we…”

  “we take it apart to see how it works.”

The color drained from every face in the room. Papyrus leaned forward in his seat, his head swivelling around to look at Sans. Sans refused to look back, his shoulders bunching up around his head defensively and his hands digging deeper into his jacket pockets.

  “SANS, YOU CAN’T MEAN WHAT YOU’RE INSINUATING! HUMANS CAN’T BE THAT BAD!”

  “we’ve done this to our own kind in the name of progress, bro. science doesn’t believe in right or wrong. it believes in answers.”

Papyrus was stunned into silence, not able to believe that monsters had done this before. He looked across the room to back up his belief, but saw that both Asgore and Alphys had guilt and shame painted across their faces. In fact, Alphys looked on the verge of tears.

  “NO, THAT…THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT. CAN IT?”

  “it’s true. the previous royal scientist did horrific things in the name of science—”

  “Sans, that’s enough,” Asgore warned.

   “—and so has the current one.” he plowed on mercilessly. “it’s just how things are.”

It was silent for a moment.

  “THE…CURRENT ONE? SO THAT MEANS..?”

Papyrus heard a small hiccup and looked over at Alphys. She was trembling violently, her small clawed hands curled into tight fists. Her eyes were screwed shut, but even behind the thick glasses, he could see fat tears gathering and spilling over her cheeks.

  “E-e-excuse me. I-I-I n-need to g-go.”

Stumbling a little in her haste to get off the couch, the small scientist dashed for the front door, fumbling for a second to get the door open, then yanked it open and ran as fast as her short legs could carry her.

  “Alphys!”

Glaring darkly at Sans, Undyne stood and pulled him up by his jacket with a single hand, the other clenching in a fist with a hint of a spear materializing. Papyrus and Asgore stood, both their faces horrified.

  “UNDYNE! PLEASE, NO!”

  “What the hell is your problem, Sans!? You KNOW Alphys still has trouble coping with everything that happened.”

Sans’s head was hanging limply, his eyesockets dark and his grin stretched widely across his face.

  “…heh.”

Undyne bristled angrily, her muscles bunching with the force of her temper.

  “’Heh?’ What the hell do you mean, ‘heh’?”

He lifted his head enough for her to see that his left eye was lit in a brilliant blue which added major intimidation factor, but even still, she could see that he looked tortured, exhausted.

  “everyone has to face their demons sometime.”

She studied him for a moment and noted that Papyrus had placed his hands on the arm holding Sans and was trying to talk to her, more than likely attempting to get her to put his brother down. She heard Asgore talking too and Toriel murmuring quietly, but she ignored it in favor of staring down the idiot that had hurt her girlfriend. He was waiting for her to hit him, she realized. It was almost like he wanted it. Well, she wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. Shrugging off Papyrus’s (admittedly) firm grip, she pulled Sans close and bared her teeth in a snarl.

  “You better apologize the next time you see her, or there WILL be a fight, got it punk?”

With that, she shot her arm forward like a piston, tossing him into Papyrus who caught him and started looking him over for any sign of injury. It made her sick. She could see it now, the way Sans tensed in his brother’s grip, how Papyrus was fussing over him with something that went way beyond brotherly concern, even if the doof wasn’t aware of it yet. Alphys always _had_ been better at detecting ships than her.

  “The kid was wrong. You don’t deserve someone like Papyrus. In _any_ way.”

There was a flash of guilt when she saw the way Sans flinched and curled in on himself as if in agony, but she buried it beneath the mountain of anger and turned on her heel, stomping out the door and slamming the door shut behind her.

Sans pulled out of Papyrus’s grip, no longer able to stand his hands on him. The poor skeleton looked so confused, his hands still raised from where they’d been on Sans before.

  “SANS, WHAT DID SHE MEAN?”

Sans shook his head, his self-directed hatred roiling inside and coiling around his soul, squeezing tightly. He barely resisted grabbing at it, panic rising in his throat.

  “nothing. she didn’t mean anything.”

Slowly, as if approaching a scared animal, Papyrus took a step forward, his hands still raised.

  “WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU, BROTHER? IT IS NOT LIKE YOU TO BE INTENTIONALLY CRUEL.”

He continued shaking his head, his hands bunching together as his panic continued to rise.

  “it’s really nothing. i just…”

  “SANS. PLEASE DON’T LIE TO ME.”

Sans looked up at him, his magic pulsing erratically. He looked half-mad, his eye sockets large with tiny pinpricks of light and his grin painfully wide.

  _“i can’t lose you again.”_

Before Papyrus’s hands could wrap around his shoulders and ask what he meant, he blinked from existence, a soft _‘voip’_ being the only evidence of him having been there at all. For a moment longer, Papyrus kept his hands outstretched, sadness and confusion fighting for dominance.

  “SANS?” he whispered to the empty space.

  “PLEASE…I DON’T UNDERSTAND…”

He turned to face Toriel and Asgore, and they looked as helpless as he felt.

What now?

 


	7. Hindsight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things go wrong  
> Or in which things go right for a little bit

For as well-equipped as Papyrus was to fight and cook, to put a smile on his friends’ and brother’s faces, he was horribly equipped to deal with negative emotion. It wasn’t a concept that visited him often, and never intense enough for him to not easily brush aside in favor of brighter viewpoints. He had gone straight home, hoping against hope that Sans had simply retreated to their sanctuary to calm down, but the house was empty.

Papyrus had been walking for a little over an hour now, mentally crossing off locations that Sans could be as he passed them by. Grillby’s. The planetarium. Circuit City. His workplace. With each place he visited being markedly Sans-less, he grew more worried and more upset. Why had he run? What had he meant? Why was he always hiding things?

He found, to his surprise, that he was losing his patience with being patient when it came to Sans. Great and careful measure had been taken to understand Sans’s need for secrecy, though he could hardly understand why, but it was affecting the people around him now, and that wasn’t acceptable. He had hurt Alphys and by proxy angered Undyne, for stars’ sake! Who even knew what their Highnesses were thinking? It was therefore imperative that he find Sans and get answers. The time for “beating around the bush”, as they say, was passed. A yelp snapped him out of his musing and he turned in the direction of the sound, a small apartment complex near the edge of the main human town, mostly hidden from view. There were muffled voices coming from the same direction, buzzing angrily like bees. The tail end of one sentence from a male voice rang out.

   “---sick monster lover!”

He heard another yelp and began walking faster, concern welling up inside him when he heard an inarticulate cry for help, desperate and panicked. He stepped around the edge of the building, quickly running through possible ways to handle the situation without making it worse. Three males, each with angry scowls on their faces, were surrounding a smaller male that was cowering before them. One of the aggressors had a firm grip on the smaller man’s arm, tight enough to likely bruise.

   “Please, let me go,” the man whimpered.

He looked so small and weak compared the men surrounding him, and it made Papyrus bristle to see him being handled so roughly. It was unfair.

   “THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH. PLEASE LET HIM GO.”

The bullies (for that was what Papyrus considered them, nothing but common bullies) turned to face him, their eyes widening in surprise and hate. One the men, scruffy with dirty blonde hair, nudged another with short spiky black hair.

   “Hey. Don’t that one look like that monster Frank described? He ain’t wearing some kinky superhero outfit, but there ain’t that many skeletons that I’ve seen.”

Papyrus drew his brows together, vaguely recognizing the name. Frank…where had he heard that one before? His eyes widened in recognition. The one he’d trapped during the test! What a lucky coincidence; he should be able to talk to them just fine then. They had gotten off on the wrong foot before, but the man had been very civil to him lately when they’d had to interact, which had been a lovely change.

The final man, taller than the others with a blonde crew cut, narrowed his eyes at Papyrus.

   “Frank told us a lot about you, skeleton.”

Papyrus smiled a little, his stance relaxing.

   “OH, ONLY GOOD THINGS, I HOPE! I KNOW I WAS INEXCUSABLY RUDE WHEN WE MET, BUT I’VE DONE MY BEST TO BE A GOOD GUARD AND FRIEND. MY NAME IS PAPYRUS, BY THE WAY!”

The three men exchanged brief glances and the one with black hair spoke.

   “Your name don’t matter, skelly. You don’t belong here, in our town, on our planet. We got enough problems without your kind taking over our land.”

Papyrus’s small smile fell, his browridges drawing together. He held his hands wide in front of him, beseeching them.

   “OUR INTENTION ISN’T TO TAKE OVER YOUR LANDS. THERE ARE NOT MANY OF US, AND THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU. AND THIS IS A REALLY BIG WORLD IF THE MAPS I’VE SEEN ARE CORRECT. CAN YOU NOT SHARE JUST A SMALL BIT OF IT?”

The tallest of them smirked, his eyes glinting darkly. There was a small intake of breath. The bullied man---

   “No.”

There had been a fourth man. Papyrus had taken many hits from Undyne before during their sparring sessions, once she’d finally given in and started getting a feel for his combat abillity when they’d met. She’d put him in small craters before, made him sweat and bleed and nearly cry, but he’d always been able to recover fairly quickly. This, though… he tried to blink past the ringing in his head, the flashing light, tried ignoring the pain in the back of his skull where the hidden man’s fist had landed. He picked himself up to his hands on knees where he’d fallen against the wall of the apartments.

He blinked a couple more times, watching as the legs of the eight men came closer. No, wait. It was four. Faintly, he hoped that the smaller human had run away. He wasn’t going to be able to fend off four angry humans if he couldn’t shake the ringing and spinning vision. The other human didn’t need to see what might happen.

Letting himself fall into the mindset of his training sessions, he watched for any movement, not able to concentrate enough to pick apart their voices. There. A leg to his left coming up to strike his ribs. His hand spasmed and a single bone shot straight up from the ground, blocking the strike. There was a cry of alarm, but he tuned it out, watching for more incoming limbs through his double vision. After a moment of blocking, they caught on that Papyrus was trying not to hurt them, instead blocking or dodging, pleading with them to stop. If anything, this seemed to make them more determined to land a hit. They were trying to wear him down, he realized.  

An idea came to him, and he hesitated briefly before blocking another hit. He’d never tried doing it to four souls at once, and he wasn’t sure how long he could last in his impaired state. Gathering as much magic as he could, he pushed it out, wrapping it around each soul. It was sloppy and taking far too much of his concentration, but it worked, four nearly simultaneous ‘ _ding!_ ’s ringing out, followed by four heavy thumps of bodies falling. With sweat beading on his brow from the massive effort it was taking to hold them down, he pulled himself up to his feet, not sparing them a glance and making his way back to the front of the building, back to where he could be seen. He didn’t make it very far.

With a rubberband-like snap of his magic, Papyrus’s grasp on their souls broke and he gasped at the sensation, the sudden influx hitting him like whiplash, causing him to stumble. His vision was slowly clearing and the ringing dissipating, but the progress wasn’t enough to keep a hand from wrapping around his humerus and yanking back, his comparatively lighter body flying back at the strength of the pull. It was the scruffy man holding him.

   “Y’ain’t goin anywhere, skelly-man.”

Papyrus struggled against the grip, panic finally beginning to register. He might actually…he wasn’t ready! He still needed to learn more recipes, and see Alphys and Undyne get married, and find Sans and hug him and never let go, he didn’t want to go, please---

   “PLEASE…LET ME GO…” he muttered brokenly.

   “Wrong place, wrong time, skeleton. You’re gonna die here.”

   “ **l i k e  h e l l  h e  i s.** ”

Suddenly, he was on the ground again and there were screams and there was a splatter of something warm against his cheekbone, followed by several loud cracking noises happening in quick succession. The sound of pounding footsteps faded after a few seconds. He picked himself up slowly, staring at the streak of red that was on the ground next to him and the bones that were embedded several inches into the concrete all around. There was no sign of the men that had attacked him. When his eyes finally landed on the source of all mayhem, he felt his soul clench.

Sans was hunched over slightly, his fists and left eyesocket glowing bright blue. He was shaking.

   “SANS…”

   “no.”

Finally reaching a mostly-normal state, perhaps due to seeing his brother so stressed, he took a quick deep breath, blinking a couple of times.

   “NO?”

   “not here.”

The conjured bones disintegrated into small particles of magic, fading into the night sky. Faintly, Papyrus compared the dissipating magic to the stars above them and noted that they were nearly the same color. He thought Sans might like to hear the idea sometime.

His head perking slightly at the sound of sirens (someone must have called the police at the sounds of screaming), he was surprised when he felt Sans wrap a hand around his wrist and pull him close. There was a twisting in his gut and their surroundings and when he blinked, they were in the forest that surrounded their small village and made up the land surrounding Mount Ebbott. Sans let go and put a good distance between them, and Papyrus noted that his shaking had not ceased. In fact, it seemed to have become more violent. Papyrus rubbed his black-gloved hands together and he stared down at the material, realizing that he had never changed out of his uniform.

_The gloves had been another gift from Sans, when Papyrus had come home dejected that he couldn’t wear anything from his battle body. Red was a distracting color, Richard had said, and went against dress code. Two days later, Papyrus had found a pair of black leather gloves sitting on his nightstand, with a simple note that said “i hope these come in handy.” He still didn’t know how Sans was so good with a needle, but he could tell that a lot of care and attention had been put into the making of them. Smiling softly, he had cradled the gloves to his chest, affection for Sans welling up inside him. He really did have the best brother._

   “SANS, I’D GONE LOOKING FOR YOU.”

Sans wasn’t looking at him, his dark sockets fixed on the grass near his slippered feet.

   “you shouldn’t have. i would have gone home eventually.”

   “I NEEDED TO FIND YOU. I WAS WORRIED, AND I WANTED ANSWERS.”

Sans was silent for a moment, his hands balling into tight fists.

   “so you went looking for me. couldn’t find me. and decided to play hero instead.”

   “E-EXCUSE ME?”

   “you are so. naïve. you always think talking fixes everything. do you even know how many times you’ve died just because you thought everyone could be _good_?”

He felt a flash of hurt at Sans calling him naïve.

   “SANS WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I’VE NEVER DIED BEFORE.”

There was a snort of derision at that.

   “yes you have. you’ve died so many times. so many times i had to see your dust where the kid left you. so many times i took your dust-covered scarf and waited to kill the kid or for the kid to kill me. so many resets and _every single time_ you had that ridiculous belief that everyone could do the right thing. it was naïve.”

Resets. That word again. He remembered Sans saying that to Frisk early on in their time on the surface. He supposed it was supposed to be a secret, but Papyrus had always had exceptional hearing. There were times where he woke up feeling an odd sense of déjà vu, or phantom pains around his throat, but he had casually dismissed them and carried on. Those pains were memories? He felt disappointment and something like bitterness well up in his chest. His voice was somewhat flat when he spoke.

   “AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME THIS. WHY? BECAUSE OF MY ‘NAIVETE’? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LEARN ANYTHING, SANS, IF YOU ALWAYS KEEP EVERYTHING FROM ME?”

Quietly he watched Sans flinch hard, it barely being distinguishable from how badly he was shaking.

   “would you honestly have listened to me if i told you humans were bad? no, you wouldn’t have. you would have brushed it off. that’s just it. i can teach you everything in the world, but it won’t matter if you get dusted by some piece of trash human because you want to talk about their _feelings_.”

He was already shaken from the meeting, he was frightened by the encounter from the humans, and he was upset and disappointed in Sans keeping something so important from him. In hindsight, his reaction was probably natural, but it didn’t really matter since hindsight was 20/20.

Sans leapt back, his eyesockets widening in shock as seven spears of orange bone impaled the ground where he’d been standing. His magic flared in his eye in response as he took in Papyrus’s hardened stare, that intimidating halo of bone twisting behind him.

   “paps, what the hell!?”

   “WE ARE DONE TALKING, BROTHER. YOU SAY IT DOES NO GOOD, SO SHOW ME YOUR WAY.”

 His right eye lit up in a brilliant orange, highlighting the streak of drying blood across his cheekbone, and a sword of orange bone materialized in his right hand. It was an intimidating sight, seeing such a serious expression on his face and his weapons undulating slowly in their spinning pattern as if breathing. Sans shook his head quickly in refusal. This isn’t what he wanted!

   “i’m not going to fight you, bro.”

Papyrus narrowed his eyes and breathed in slowly.

   “YOU GIVE ME NO CHOICE, THEN.”

The tightening grip on the bone sword was the only warning Sans got before one of the bones behind Papyrus straightened out and launched itself at him. He sidestepped quickly, but had to jump back as Papyrus moved forward, the jagged sword cutting into the space he’d been occupying before. Papyrus followed through the movement, three more bones launching themselves at him, quickly followed by an arcing slice of the sword. Sans saw the way Papyrus’s eyes intently watched the way he moved, the way he filed it away and factored it into his strategy. His brother really was a brilliant fighter. It was when a wall of bone shot up from the ground behind him where he’d been heading and he narrowly dodged that he knew he was going to lose. He blinked and Papyrus was in his personal space, his eye glowing brightly and the sword drawn back, pointed at his throat.

   “YOU ARE NOT FIGHTING BACK, SANS. DON’T BE LIKE ME. IF YOU DON’T FIGHT BACK, YOU WILL END UP GETTING HURT.”

Out of instinct, Sans thrust out his hand and channeled his magic through his fingers, blue tendrils coiling around Papyrus’s soul and darkening it from its faint orange-white glow. Papyrus’s body flew back and he twisted in the air, digging his sword into the ground and slowing his progress. He stood slowly, the blue glow fading. Sans felt Papyrus’s magic wrap around his, the feeling almost intimate in nature, before the connection was broken and his magic returned to his body, feeling almost no backlash. Even in the middle of a fight, Papyrus was gentle. Digging his hands into his jacket pockets, he forced himself to relax, watching how Papyrus did the same. Alright, he’d fight. But the blasters weren’t coming out, no matter how hard Papyrus pushed him. He’d forfeit long before.

   “GOOD. YOU FINALLY LOOK SERIOUS.”

Sighing under his breath, Sans let his magic uncoil, curling around his body in wisps as bones materialized around him. Even their magic manifested differently; Papyrus’s weapons were built strong and designed for efficiency and meant to close distance, while Sans’s weapons were jagged and different length, meant for speed and to wear the opponent down via bleeding. Sans talent was supposed to be keeping enemies at range since he was so low in health, but Papyrus was his foil. Only another sign he’d lose. Closing his right eye, he took a quick breath, and upon releasing the air, several of the bones shot towards Papyrus who dived to the side, landing on one knee and pushing against the ground, the force launching him towards Sans. His long legs quickly ate the distance, but he skidded in an effort to stop as a wall of bone appeared in front of him just before he could reach his brother.

Obeying his instincts, he swung his sword out behind him in a parrying motion, knocking away the two small jagged bones that were about to pierce his back. Sans was standing there behind him, his right eye still closed and his magic wrapping around him like a cloak. So he was going to start using shortcuts? What could he do to counter that? He glanced down at his feet and back at Sans, contemplating. To test his idea, he rushed Sans again, the halo of bone behind him all straightening and pointing at the stationary target. As he suspected, another wall of bone shot up before he could get too close and he counted to himself, listening for the faint _‘voip’_ of Sans using a shortcut. He launched the halo behind him and there was a loud clatter as several projectiles met and fell to the ground. One more time.

Facing Sans again, he made a downward slash with his sword and began running forward again.

   “not gonna work, bro.”

Smiling faintly, Papyrus kept running, preparing himself. On cue, the wall began to rise and wasting no time, Papyrus discarded his sword and leapt in the air, vaulting it before it could get too high and landing in a crouch on the other side. He relished the surprised look on Sans’s face when he burst from his crouch, not allowing Sans the time to teleport, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and tackling him to the ground.

   “I WAS COUNTING ON IT, SANS.”

Conjuring the sword once again, he held the blade to Sans’s throat, his expression neutral.

   “I WIN, BROTHER.”

   “yeah…guess you do.”

They were both silent for a moment. There was a slow, shaky sigh from Sans.

   “i’m...sorry, papyrus. i didn’t mean to keep so much from you, but…i had felt it would be better this way.”

The sword disappeared and Papyrus sighed to himself, his magic fading gently.

   “YOUR APOLOGY IS ACCEPTED. BUT FROM NOW ON, I WANT YOU TO HAVE MORE FAITH IN ME, SANS. I MAY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE CAN BE GOOD, AND I MAY WANT TO SPARE OTHER FROM HARM IF I CAN HELP IT, BUT THERE IS MORE TO ME THAN JUST BEING NAÏVE, JUST LIKE THERE IS MORE TO YOU THAN BEING LAZY OR SAD. CAN YOU DO THAT FOR ME? CAN YOU TRUST ME?”

Sans sighed again.

   “of course i trust you, pap. i was just…being scared. i’ve lost you so many times and with everything going on, i…panicked.”

Papyrus was silent for a long moment, before he laid his forehead on the nettle-covered ground next to Sans’s skull.

   “I UNDERSTAND. I THINK…I THINK I WOULD BE THE SAME WAY. NO. I’M SURE I WOULD.”

   “yeah…i know. thanks, paps.”

This time it was Papyrus’s turn to become hyperaware of their position, how their breathing had unconsciously synced, how they were both slightly out of breath, how Sans was sweating and had a faint dusting of blue across his cheekbones from exertion. Why did it feel so right to be close to Sans like this? He lifted his head and drank in Sans’s features, the way he still looked so dejected and tired. He wanted to do anything to make Sans happy. Again, hindsight is 20/20.

Unwrapping his right hand from Sans’s shoulder, he gently cupped the side of Sans’s face and stared at him for a moment, searching his features for something. The pinned skeleton turned a darker shade of blue, conflicting with the confused look on his face.

   “paps…?”

   “PLEASE DON’T BE SAD,” he whispered.

He leaned down and pressed his teeth against Sans’s, feeling his body go completely rigid beneath him. He pulled away a small fraction, studying the way Sans had gone completely blue in the face, his eyelights conspicuously absent in his shock. His thumb rubbed against his cheekbone, waiting for Sans to speak. When he didn’t, Papyrus smiled softly and spoke an inch away from him. He knew this is what he wanted. He now knew what Undyne meant. And again, he felt she was wrong. Papyruses definitely deserved Sanses. Papyruses were meant for Sanses, in his modest opinion.

   “IT WILL BE OKAY, SANS.”

And then he was kissing him again, not letting up on the circular motions he was making with this thumb. Sans started shaking beneath him and then let out a broken whimper before his hands shakily reached up and wrapped around Papyrus’s shoulders, his grip tenuous. Upon realizing that, no, it wasn’t a dream, the grip became vicelike and he began to kiss back in earnest. Sighing happily, Papyrus reached up with his other hand and placed it on the other side of Sans’s face, now holding himself up on his elbows and knees. Sans spoke between kisses, his voice soft and tortured.

   “i love you” _kiss_ “so much” _kiss_ “please” _kiss_ “don’t let this be another dream.”

   “NO. I AM NOT” _kiss_ “A DREAM.” _kiss_ “I LOVE YOU, TOO.” _kiss_ “AND I’M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG.”

He leaned up for a brief moment and smiled at the enamored look on Sans’s face.

   “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, SANS. I HOPE YOU ARE OKAY WITH THAT.”

The relief and pained way Sans closed his eyes made him just want to hold him close and never let go.

   “more than okay with that, paps. and if this really is a dream, please never let me wake up.”

   “I CAN ASSURE YOU, I REALLY AM NOT ONE. I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT MY DAY AT WORK, AND ALL TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY ONE SPAGHETTI RECIPES I COMMITTED TO MEMORY, IF YOU’D LIKE.”

Sans chuckled to himself and his eyes fell half-shut with the gentle lilt of his smile.

   “i’d love that. tell me all about it, bro.”

And so Papyrus began his grand narration and Sans leaned into the hands on his face, for once feeling at peace.

* * *

_Day 5 of observation. Waited most of the evening near the forest line for X22 to return to its domicile. It seemed to be searching for something. X21 and X22 have returned in an unconventional fashion, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The ability appears to belong to X21, since X22 seemed confused and disoriented upon arrival. Further observation is needed._

_Subject X21 and X22 seem to have developed an incestuous relationship. X21 has proven to have a violent streak, especially in regards to protection of its brother and X22 is far stronger than previously anticipated. Based on observation, they seem able to cancel out in each other the gravity ‘magic’ that they have previously used on other humans. X22 is observant of its surroundings and is able to construct strategies based on only a few moves that it has studied. It has proven itself able to defeat X21 in combat despite X21’s obviously superior firepower._

_Report will be submitted for review by project manager. Retrieval of X22 is feasible, but must be caught by surprise. X21, if capable of teleportation, will be a far more difficult target. Retrieval of both subjects may not be possible._

* * *

 

It was long-quiet where the altercation between the humans and the brothers had taken place. The blood stains were removed, the holes in the ground roped off with tape to avoid injury. Even still, the atmosphere felt heavy, perhaps from leftover magic, perhaps from residual emotions. The shadows darkened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCKIN FINALLY.


	8. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a much-needed conversation occurs or  
> In which the good doctor gets a chance to shine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly dialogue, but it's something that needs to happen. I am so sorry for the massive delay.

The following day, Sans spent most of his waking hours in his head, his work shift passing without incident. There were maybe a few scathing remarks and half-empty cups thrown his way, but it was easy to ignore them (or magic them away, in the case of the cups). He wanted nothing more for his new relationship with Papyrus to be cut and dry, but every doubt he’d ever had and every fear and insecurity came back to gnaw at him. The humans wouldn’t like it, but he scoffed at the notion. What the humans cared about was irrelevant to him. But…what if Paps cared? What if that affected his job security? His brother loved his job. He couldn’t…he couldn’t do that to him. What if it was a fluke? What if Papyrus had only kissed him in the heat of the moment? What if it was only done to placate him?

Maybe it’d be better if he put a stop to it before it got any further. The thought burned inside him like acid, and everything in his being fought the idea. No. This wasn’t just about him. Papyrus deserved to give his input as well. But Papyrus would likely just say whatever needed to be said in order to keep Sans happy. That’s how Papyrus seemed to work; always sacrificing himself and his needs or desires to keep others satisfied. He’d probably just keep it to himself for a while. Keep thinking about it.

When his shift ended, he waved idly to Steph and Adrian on the way out, his eye flashing blue before porting away. He had something he needed to do.

He stared at the door for several long moments, his soul sitting heavily in his chest. Sighing to himself, he raised his fist and knocked a couple of times, mouthing to himself ‘knock, knock’. A soft voice came from behind the door.

   “W-who is it?”

The word came to him before he could control himself.

   “orange.”

It was silent for a moment before he heard a tiny huff of laughter.

   “Orange who?”

The door cracked open and he could see Alphys’s face come into view. She looked tired. Sans had the grace to look sheepish and sank into his jacket a little.

   “orange you glad to see me?”

   “…”

He sank into his jacket a little more when she attempted looking miffed.

   “I s-should be very angry with you, you know.”

God, he had been such an asshole.

   “yeah, i know. and really, you deserve ta be. would it be alright if i came inside?”

She said nothing as she opened the door further, allowing him enough space to walk inside before closing the door behind her. Her feet dragged as she waddled to the small couch shoved against the leftmost wall. With a gentleness that Sans would have at any other time found amusing, she relocated the plushies of various anime characters to the side of the couch and gestured for him to sit on the loveseat across from the couch. He stared at the table between the two couches, a bowl of ocean-scented potpourri sitting in the center, several science magazines scattered across the surface. His fingers itched to pick one up, his curiosity kicking up as it was wont to do when it came to anything science-related.

   “W-would you like anything to drink?”

   “nah, i’m just here to talk. gotta get home soon or else paps will come lookin for me again.”

Alphys perked up at the mention.

   “Th-that’s right, I’d heard that Papyrus had left in a rush to find you. I also heard that there had been a monster-h-human altercation in town. D-did he have something to do with that?”

Sans’s face darkened as the memory played in his head unbidden. The memory of his brother, held by that trash, his expression panicked, tears running down his face. He had been so angry. It had taken every ounce of control in him not to just kill them in the most brutal way possible for daring to touch his brother. He heard a small cough and snapped out of the memory, looking up to see a nervous sweat beading across Alphys’s brow. Oh. He’d been gathering magic and it was leaking out of his eye in curling wisps.

   “sorry, alph. i. i almost lost him last night.”

She sat up straight, her eyes widening in alarm.

   “W-w-what!?”

He sighed softly to himself, raising a hand to wipe across his face tiredly.

   “based on what he told me, he’d come across a group of humans gettin’ ready to dunk another guy. a monster supporter, apparently. paps, bein’ the great guy he is, tried to step in and negotiate. the little guy went free, but only ‘cause they decided to focus on paps instead. they…” he ground his teeth and attempted to tamp down on his anger, “they got the jump on ‘im. had someone hiding in the wings. they must’ve had a lot of hate and intent behind the blow, ‘cause he almost got knocked out in one hit.”

Alphys’s small hands had come up to clamp around her mouth, horror washing over her face. He continued on, determined to get it all out at once.

   “paps tried defending only. tried escaping. but he was too out of it to keep it up for long.”

Sans took a shuddering breath, fear and rage and all those old familiar emotions curling around his soul like a snare, choking him.

   “they were gonna kill him, alph. i was so goddamn lucky i heard the commotion while i was walkin’ back home. i could’ve taken a shortcut. i could have taken a different route. one wrong move and paps wouldn’t be with us anymore.”

He kept it to himself that there would be no more resets to try and get his brother back. Of course, he would have begged Frisk to reset, but that wouldn’t be fair. He couldn’t do that to everyone. It was difficult to swallow past the lump of fear in his throat.

   “i scared off the guys. i wanted to do so much more, you have no idea. but paps doesn’t need that kind of thing on his conscience.”

   “Th-that’s horrible. That Papyrus had that happen to him, I mean! I’m so glad he’s safe!”

   “me too. i was so…i dunno how to describe how i felt. it was strong. and then paps…”

He sighed and turned his eyelights to the floor, guilt and shame welling up inside him.

   “he was so upset. he was upset that i ran off. he was upset that i was mad at him for puttin’ himself in danger. it felt so much worse ‘cause he didn’t actually get angry. i could…i could feel the disappointment comin’ off him. and then we ended up fighting.”

Alphys frowned to herself, trying to imagine Papyrus yelling in anger, heck, trying to imagine the brothers fighting at all. Sans didn’t seem the type to raise his voice toward his brother.

   “You actually argued?”

Sans shook his head.

   “no, we _fought_. paps attacked me.”

The poor doctor’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

   “W-what!? B-b-but why would he--!?”

   “i pushed too hard. i…said some things i shouldn’t have. and paps made it clear that i’ve maybe been keepin’ ‘im down a li’l too much. not lettin’ him…grow, i guess? i messed up, alph. all i’ve ever wanted to do was protect paps, but maybe i went a li’l overboard.”

She had never heard Sans speak so much in her life, not even in subjects that he was interested in. It must have really been bothering him for him to tell her all this.

   “paps won. of course he won. you shoulda seen him.” Sans smiled fondly. “it was incredible watching him. it was like i was an open book…” he chuckled to himself. “eh, maybe i was being a li’l predictable too. i was definitely pulling my punches.”

   “I bet it was g-great! So did you tell him all of this?”

The gears started turning in her head and the little devil on her shoulder started snickering when she saw Sans’s cheekbones turn a faint blue.

   “yeah…kinda. not in as much detail, but he knows i’m sorry.”

Her excitement was enough for her stutter to stop.

   “Something happened.”

Sans looked up at her in confusion and something like wariness.

   “huh?”

   “You’re embarrassed about something, Sans! Come on, what happened?”

Shit. Sans looked to the side, his cheekbones getting darker.

   “I KNEW IT! Come on, Sans! Please please pleaaase?”

   “calm down, alphys. he just…he may have…said something.”

   “Aaaand?”

He rubbed the back of his skull anxiously, the slight scraping noise serving to distract him for a few seconds while he gathered his thoughts.

   “he just confessed, okay?”

He swore on everything he knew that her excited squeal was almost high enough to break glass.

   “Yes!! I _knew_ you guys were going to be a thing! Oh, this is just like this anime I watched, where—”

   “alph, no. don’t go on one of your rants, please. look, this isn’t supposed to be a thing. he’s…” Sans fidgeted with his hands in an uncharacteristic show of nerves “…he’s my brother.” He finished lamely.

   “So?”

His eyesockets widened in surprise.

   “whaddya mean ‘so’? brothers aren’t supposed to…y’know. like each other like this.”

Alphys leaned back on the couch, her arms crossed and her toes curling. She gave him an unimpressed look.

   “Are you going to shame your brother? Like…are you really going to reject his love?”

   “no! but…you gotta understand, humans ain’t so understanding. Hell, I dunno if all monsters would be okay with it. bein’ open about it could put pap’s job at risk, could make him an even bigger target than he already is. and…i’m not gonna ask him to hide what we are, or rather, what we could be.”

He stared down at his clasped hands, his eyes nearly shutting.

   “it would kill him.”

The two monsters sat in silence for a minute or two, and when Alphys spoke again, her voice was subdued, her earlier excitement gone.

   “Are you going to bother getting his opinion?”

Sans tilted his head up just far enough to look at her.

   “…his opinion?”

He was beginning to notice that she could be incredibly sassy when it came to her ‘ships’. He wasn’t sure if he found it endearing while it was targeted at him and his brother. She scoffed and raised a brow at him, her mouth tilting downward in a disappointed frown.

   “Yeah. Because the opinion of the other half of the relationship is kind of important. Or are you really going to just decide for him?”

Her frown became more pronounced.

   “If you do, you’re just going back and doing what…what made him so upset in the first place. You’re…you’d be taking his free agency. What do you think he’d do if he found out?”

Sans sighed again, burying his face in his hands.

   “…he’d be disappointed in me all over again.”

   “Exactly. Just…talk to him, okay? He needs to be able to have a say, too.”

   “yeah, thanks. guess that’s somethin’ i gotta work on.”

He peeked out at her between his fingers. She seemed content with his answer.

   “y’know, this isn’t even what i came here for. i was supposed to just be apologizing to you. i was outta line.”

Alphys clenched her hands on her lap, her eyes fixed somewhere near Sans’s feet. She smiled ruefully.

   “It’s okay. I have to get over it at s-some point. Can’t really move forward otherwise…right?”

A happy little blush began to bloom on her cheeks.

   “Besides! Y-you’ve made one of my ships canon, so that more than makes up for it!”

Sans huffed in amusement.

   “why’re ya rootin’ so hard for me and paps, anyway? undyne doesn’t really share the sentiment.” His expression soured at that.

   “I think…I-I think she’s just protective of her best friend. And I wanna look on the better side of things! You guys just…seem to work so well together. You haven’t really noticed, have you?”

He raised a browridge in question, prompting her to continue.

   “You guys just…seem to…I-I don’t know! Gravitate around each other?? If he moves, you do. If you move, he does. You both constantly encourage each other and say good things about each other, even when the other isn’t around. I p-personally think…that…um. You would have found Papyrus last night, no matter how much you think it was luck. You knew where he’d be, even if you weren’t conscious of it.”

   “you saying we’re soul mates or somethin?”

Alphys leaned forward, her excitement resurging.

   “Yes!! I-I mean…it’d be really nice, wouldn’t it? There are lots of people I’ve known all my life, and Papyrus has known Undyne since he was a teenager, but they don’t seem to have the same synchronicity that you two do! There’s gotta be something special there, I just know it!”

She blushed and looked down at her hands, a soft smile warming her expression.

   “It’s gonna sound corny, but…it’s almost like I can see the bond between you two. I had always kinda ignored it because I was so focused on everything that was happening Underground, and…well…getting Undyne to like me. The way Papyrus looks at you is…is the way I imagine I look at Undyne.”

Papyrus looked at him with that much affection? He’d seen the looks Alphys and Undyne gave each other. They loved each other so much it was cavity-inducing.

   “That and you’re not as s-subtle as you think you are! Oh my god, the lovestruck looks you give him when you think no one is looking is anime-worthy! You’re always s-so gentle with him, and kind. It’s like he’s the center of your universe. Wherever he is, y-you can’t be very far behind.”

He felt his face burning. Oh god, he’d been that obvious? Why had no one said anything!? Hell, why hadn’t Papyrus noticed if he was being that blatant? Papyrus was so ridiculously observant in any changes in his behavior—wait. If Papyrus hadn’t noticed…then he must have actually loved him for much longer than even he knew. When had the shift occurred? When had it stopped being brotherly? Of course, there had been the sexual tilt in his perception of Papyrus a few months ago, but that wasn’t what he was thinking of. The romantic shift. When had _that_ happened?

   “oh geez. didn’t think i was _that_ bad.”

Alphys giggled softly.

   “Y-yeah. It was kind of cute, actually.”

   “me and cute don’t go together, doc.”

   “They totally do!”

There was another brief moment of silence before Alphys leaned a little more forward, her mouth pulling up into a smirk and her eyebrows wagging suggestively.

   “S-so have you guys kissed yet?”

She saw Sans’s face screw up in a look that could only be described as embarrassed at being caught red-handed and he turned bright blue. He stood up in a flash and began power-walking to the door, his back stiff.

   “nope, nuh uh. not answering that.”

   “You have!!” she crowed, leaping from the couch to waddle excitedly after him. “H-h-how does it work!? Do you just…touch your teeth or something??”

   “gettin’ gone. my lips are sealed. you’re not gettin’ anythin’ from me.”

He heard laughter from behind him.

   “Y-you don’t have lips, Sans.”

   “even better.”

More laughter. Alphys watched as Sans paused a couple of feet outside the door and turned his head to face her, his blush fading somewhat. His posture was much more relaxed than when he’d come in and that was a relief. She was glad he was feeling better.

   “…thanks, alph. i’m glad i dropped by.”

She smiled softly.

   “M-me too. You should do it m-more often. And bring Papyrus, too! U-Undyne would love to have him around when she’s not working.”

   “yeah. yeah i can do that. paps would probably love it.”

   “Maybe y-you could demonstrate how you guys kiss, too! It’d be great source material f-for my fanfiction!”

He could hear the teasing tone in her voice, and knew she was joking, but that didn’t keep the flush from returning in full force. As he ported away, he heard her high-pitched giggles and he smiled to himself, the sound warming his soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't exactly like her at first, but goodness I think Alphys is adorable. She tries. And she deserves to have her happy ending, her time in the spotlight, pretty much just everything.


	9. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papyrus shows the audience that he's still actually insecure deep down or  
> In which Papyrus remembers OR  
> In which there are many many questions

He wished he could remember his dreams. Vagueness was something he despised, at least as much as he was capable of despising something, anyway. Every detail he may have been able to recall would slip away by the time his eye sockets would open all the way. Sometimes, he wouldn’t really want to remember. A lingering sense of discomfort would warn him away from trying to prod at memories that were no longer there. But still, he would have liked to remember them, all of them, even if they were uncomfortable or scary. And by Asgore, he really wanted to remember this last dream.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so safe and secure and happy and…ahem…“at attention”. The dream very likely starred Sans, since there was no one else he could think of that elicited feelings even close to what he was feeling, but still, detail would have been nice. Any detail at all, really. Sighing quietly to himself, Papyrus slid out of bed, ignoring his issue and heading to the bathroom.  

With a critical eye, he studied himself in the mirror as he let the water of the shower heat up, focusing on the orange flush high on his cheekbones. Did Sans really like this? He wasn’t really impressed with it. Sans had a much nicer blush, such a gentle shade of blue and his eyesockets becoming half-lidded with a seeming shyness. It was endearing. A darker question crept up in his mind that he couldn’t dismiss despite how much he wanted to. Did Sans _want_ this? He hadn’t exactly given his brother any time to think about the situation. What if Sans would be better off with someone similar in temperament, or someone shorter, or someone who was more popular or…

He shook his head quickly. No. Sans wouldn’t do something unless he wanted to. He wouldn’t have bothered kissing back, he would have just teleported away like he did back when their house was still brand new. His browridge furrowed as he thought back on it. Why _did_ Sans keep porting away? If he didn’t want Papyrus to touch him then, why would he be okay with touching him now? Sans wouldn’t lie about his feelings…right? He’d lied about a lot, but feelings were such delicate things, things to be treasured and protected.

Right?

It was one more thing to talk about, he supposed. _He_ wasn’t going to lie. He would be up-front, and ask Sans if he really was okay with their relationship being this way. With a viciousness that surprised even him, his inner voice snarled at him that Sans didn’t deserve that kind of doubt. He’d already been through so much and Papyrus was his only solid support, how _dare_ he think about questioning his feelings? ‘Of course’, he conceded to himself. Sans had definitely been through a lot. But still, he felt that maybe he had pushed too hard, not given him room to think. It was only fair that he make sure he knew where they stood.

Nodding to himself in affirmation, he stripped of his pajamas and climbed into the shower, sighing softly in pleasure as the warm water washed over his bones. It was like he was in a daze as he slowly shambled backward until his back touched the shower wall, his eyes falling closed once he made contact, resisting a wince. Everything ached. _‘NOT THAT ANYONE WILL EVER KNOW THAT!’_ , Papyrus mentally exclaimed. His shoulder joint was particularly sore, from where that human had…he shook his head, wrapping his arms around each other and hunching down a little.

Killing intent was extraordinarily rare in the Underground, nigh unheard of, but it was built into every monster’s instincts to be able to identify it when it appeared. All of those men had it, especially the one that grabbed him. It was rolling off of them in waves. Papyrus could never remember being so scared in his life. If Sans hadn’t shown up when he did…

His ‘issue’ long gone, Papyrus sank to the floor of the shower, his forehead resting on his raised knees. It was soft at first, a sharp exhalation of air that echoed in the small area. The small sound was followed by a choked sound and a tiny little sob and the gentle rattling of bones. He was stronger than this, he told himself. He just…needed a little break, that’s all. He’d take a little break, and then he’d go back to being strong, strong for his majesties, strong for monsterkind…strong for Sans. His sobs failed to be disguised by the hiss of the water.

* * *

 

Papyrus refused to leave the house. He had a day off and…well. He didn’t really want to run the risk of encountering any humans today. It wasn’t that he was angry at all of them or judging them, but he would rather not go anywhere until he was sure he could control himself and not have any knee-jerk reactions. Fear did strange things to people, he’d learned.

Luckily, it was fairly easy to stay occupied, making a day of cleaning the house (how was Sans so befuddlingly _messy_? He had promised! Oh well, New Home wasn’t built in a day).

   “ONE OF THESE DAYS, SANS, I’M GOING TO CUT YOU OFF FROM KETCHUP. THIS IS GROSS.” He muttered to himself as he swept through Sans’s room.

With a scrunch of his face, he lifted a shirt that had a rather thick and sticky ketchup stain straight down the front that had been thrown into a far corner of the room. The corner of one of his fingers touched the stain and he felt it try to stick to him.

   _‘DON’T GET GROSSED OUT, DON’T GET GROSSED OUT, IT’S JUST KETCHUP; STARS ABOVE, SANS, KEEP YOUR FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH.’_

Papyrus hastened over to the laundry basket near the doorway, tossing the offending article of clothing inside with a short jerky motion. There, done. Was there anything else…? He scanned the room, checking under the mattress (which thankfully now had a frame; he refused to budge on the matter when Sans had said he didn’t need it. _“WE ARE NOT BARBARIANS, SANS.”_ Sans had given in after a couple of minutes) and around the dresser.

His gaze landed on the small bookcase Sans had splurged on, his only selfish purchase, in fact. Smiling gently, Papyrus walked up to it and scanned the titles, resisting the urge to roll his eyes when he saw the joke books and scrunching his brows when he saw all the science texts. He plucked out one and read the title, Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei, and Particles, 2nd Edition and frowned lightly to himself. This sounded…difficult. As he flipped idly through the pages and picked out various words, paying special attention to the various annotations made in the margins of the pages in Sans’s oddly neat handwriting, he felt himself growing more and more confused.

This was definitely difficult, far more difficult than he could even try to figure. If Sans had this and understood it, why hadn’t he chosen a career in science instead? He loved stars, and he had a lot of books involving physics, thermodynamics, and astronomy. It was hard to miss how Sans’s face would light up when there was science to be had. If he loved it so much, why avoid it? As if trying to answer him, he heard the whispers of several voices in his head, causing his eyesockets to widen.

 _‘--do we have weather down here?’_ someone young.

   _‘No two things are exactly the same—’_ a deeper voice.

 _‘Do you remember?’_ Remember what?

   _‘we did it.’_ What did you do? Wait. That was Sans’s voice.

 _‘i don’t know how to say this…’_ a sudden mental image of Sans, younger, with an expression that Papyrus could easily tell was pain and exhaustion.

 _‘he went back home.’_ Sans had cast his eyes down and to the side, an indicator of him lying, and badly at that. Who went back home? And if it was a lie, what happened to ‘him’?

The whispers were overlapping, faint and a little fuzzy, like very distant memories. Papyrus stared straight ahead, the book in his hand snapping shut with a twitch of his fingers. Is that what they were? Memories? He absent-mindedly replaced the book on the shelf and walked back to the entrance of the room, picking up the laundry basket and heading downstairs. The frown on his face grew more pronounced as he put the laundry in the washer, his thoughts turning further inward. If these were memories…how much else was he forgetting?

That voice…it was prodding at something within him, something unyielding and dark, something that shouldn’t be but was. There were sensations accompanying it, flutters of emotion, all glancing him so slightly that had he not been actively searching for it, he’d think it was his imagination. Something was there. Something buried, perhaps? Why would it be buried, though? What was his mind hiding from him?

_‘YOU WILL NOT ELUDE THE GREAT AND POWERFUL PAPYRUS AND YOU CERTAINLY SHALL NOT BEST ME, EVEN IF YOU ARE MY OWN MIND!’_

Determined now ( _‘i think stubborn is a better word’_ , another whisper that sounded like Sans stated), he settled himself on the couch in their living room and hunched forward, his arms on his knees and his chin resting on his thumbs, his fingers lacing together in front of his mouth. His eyesockets bored into the inactive television as he dug into the recesses of his mind. As he approached a dark spot in his memory, he prodded at it, feeling a mild pain reverberate in his skull at the action. He’d been through worse, he told himself. A little pain wouldn’t stop him. He prodded at it again, wincing at the responding lance of pain. The whispers started again, a little louder and clearer than before.

 _‘It’s pretty!’_ a high pitched voice, a young monster, more than likely.

 _‘You can see it well enough from where you are.’_ That voice again. He latched onto it almost desperately.

 _‘I asked you a question, Papyrus.’_ He jolted at the mention of his name. This person knew him? He’d known this person?

 _‘Think about what it would have done to your brother.’_ He knew Sans, too? What had happened?

   _‘Think about what it would have done to me.’_ The voice was quieter, pained, a far cry from its usual cool tones.

He heard sobbing from two young voices (him and Sans, maybe?) before the whispers faded. This person obviously knew both him and his brother, and seemed to care about them deeply if the whisper was any indication. He had been an important figure. Where was he? Was this the person Sans was talking about in the earlier whispers? The one that ‘went back home’? He continued pushing into his memories. There had to be something there about that man, something that would tell him who he was. He had a feeling that that man was the key to Sans’s aversion to science despite his love for it, and perhaps the key to why Sans was so distant in his youth. Very vaguely, he heard the door open and registered the shuffling footsteps that identified the intruder as Sans.

   “hey bro, i’m home.”

   “WELCOME HOME, SANS.” he said on instinct.

 _‘…I am somewhat different from the two of you.’_ he’d always wondered what he’d meant by that. Wait. Had he?

   “sorry i took so long, i was visiting alphys. figured i had some grovelin’ to do.”

   “THAT’S GOOD. SHE FEELS BETTER, I HOPE?”

   “heh, yeah. she’s doin’ alright now.”

   “THAT’S GOOD.”

He wasn’t really aware that he was already beginning to recycle his responses and was unaware of the confused glance Sans shot his way.

   _‘You wanted to see the stars, right?’_ It was more Sans’s wish, but he was excited too. It was his first time outside the lab! …lab?

   _‘g, this is incredible…’_ Papyrus focused on that one letter. He was so close now, he could feel it in his bones. Just a little more of a push…

   “….uh, hey, so i thought we could have a little chat. about…yknow.”

   “THAT WOULD BE AMENABLE.”

Sans almost sputtered at that. What kind of response was…?

   “paps? is…is everything okay?”

He faintly tasted cereal in the back of his throat. Odd.

 _‘WHAT IS WRONG?’_ That was him. A younger him. He saw a flicker in his mind of Sans again, the younger one that had that exhausted look on his face, the one that had the hoarse voice as if he’d spent hours screaming.

 _‘look, i…i don’t know how to say this…but…’_ that was the same whisper as earlier, clearer and louder, as if the Sans in his memory was standing directly in front of him. He sounded hesitant, tired. That tone of voice never meant anything good.

   “paps? you’re startin’ to scare me. what’s wrong?”

He heard a hiss of static.

 _‘--gone.’_ No. No! That was it! It was right there! He just had to keep pushing! His jaw clenched against the searing pain in his head. He couldn’t show pain in front of Sans. There was no need to make him worry (Sans was feeling borderline panic at this point).

   “paps?!”

Just…a little more. He stubbornly pushed at the static, commanding it to give under the force of his will.

 _‘what do you mean ‘who’? dr—‘_ There. There it was.

   “paps please, talk to me. tell me what to do. what’s wrong?”

   “SANS.”

Sans shifted forward, his eyes wide and frightened. Papyrus turned his head to finally look at him, his expression oddly blank. He felt a shiver run down his spine at the out of place look and felt something like dread make his soul heavy when Papyrus seemed to suddenly come alive again, his features morphing to express something like confusion.

   “WHO IS GASTER?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And if you turn to your left you can see the author slamming their hands and head on the keyboard as they inadvertently make Pap feel all the things. (I don't want to hurt the cinnamon roll, I swear, I SWEAR. It just...happens?) Also sorry for the little tease there at the beginning. You have a bit more to wait on that.


	10. Clear the Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they finally have a real heart-to-heart (soul-to-soul?) or  
> In which some waters are tested

Whatever he’d been expecting to come out of Papyrus’s mouth, it wasn’t that.

Sans felt himself go completely numb as he attempted processing the question. How did he..? _How_? It had been, what, ten or eleven years since he had heard someone actually say Gaster’s name (ten years, eight months, twenty one days and three hours, his mind clarified. Sometimes he hated how easily he followed time nowadays.)? He stared at Papyrus silently, his eyelights gone and his body stock still.

   “SANS?”

   “…how?” he muttered after a few moments. His eyelights returned, flickering slightly, and they locked on to Papyrus with an intensity that almost made him squirm. “how do you know that name?” Sans continued, dropping into a whisper.

   “THE…THE WHISPERS TOLD ME.”

That certainly didn’t seem to help how tense Sans was.

   “the _what_?”

   “THE WHISPERS. THEY WERE MEMORIES, I’M SURE, BUT THEY WERE FUZZY AT FIRST. THERE WAS A VOICE, ONE LOWER THAN MINE BUT HIGHER THAN YOURS, THAT FEATURED IN A LOT OF THOSE MEMORIES. I.” he rubbed lightly at his skull, not completely able to resist a grimace of pain, “I WENT LOOKING FOR THEM. IT FOUGHT ME, BUT NOTHING CAN DEFEAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” he finished with a flair.

Papyrus heard a strangled sound come from Sans’s direction and felt a quick stab of worry and panic when he saw that translucent blue tears were gathering in the corners of Sans’s eyesockets. He twisted his body towards Sans, his arms twitching in a sudden need to hold him and attempt to soothe whatever hurt was there.

   “you remember. good god, you _remember_. it’s…it’s been so long since anyone…” he tried not to choke on a sob. He failed.

Quietly, Papyrus reached forward—slowly, he’d give Sans time to pull away if he wanted to (he didn’t)—and pulled Sans into his arms, not able to resist the warmth that flooded his soul at the contact. He settled his chin on Sans’s shoulder and listened to him cry for a minute or so, rubbing his back with his ungloved hands. When the sobs had started to die down a little, he began speaking, his voice a murmur against the side of Sans’s skull.

   “I SAW YOU. IN MY MIND, THAT IS. YOU WERE TELLING ME THAT GASTER HAD GONE BACK HOME. YOU LIED. I KNOW THAT FACE.”

The body against him froze, then sagged against him in what was probably resignation. Sans had never liked to be caught in lies.

   “i guess…i guess you should really know, huh?”

   “YES.”

Sans took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his bones rattling slightly. What if Papyrus became angry? What if, what if, what if.

   “gaster was…” he nearly choked on the name, it sitting oddly in his mouth after all these years, “there was an accident. we’d been workin’ on a machine that would possibly take us back to before the barrier was created, so we could free ourselves and never have to go through being stuck down here. it malfunctioned during the first test run and ripped a hole in the space-time continuum to a place that existed between realities and timelines. the void, we’d called it.”

Every time Sans took a shortcut, he passed through the void. For the first few years of possessing the ability, he’d tried forcing the connection to stay open longer than it was meant to, to see if he could jump inside and try to find his creator; it forcefully pushed him out every time, leaving him drained and irritable.

   “gaster tried to fix the malfunction but couldn’t, and by the time he realized that there was no fixin’ it, our entire team had been sucked into the tear. and then…gaster locked me out of the room and completed the containment protocols himself at the cost of his own life.”

Sans was shaking slightly in Papyrus’s hold. How long had he kept this down? Papyrus pushed his memory back again to where it met a wall of black, the wall where he knew Gaster and his early childhood was. Ten years, perhaps?

   “when i got back…it was like everyone had forgotten about ‘im. everything changed. anything and everything that had been touched by gaster was erased: his notes, his ongoing projects, his existence. In fact, the only things that didn’t disappear were the CORE and the machine that killed ‘im. and…well. us, obviously.”

   “although…” Sans paused for a moment, likely searching his memory, “not _everything_ small disappeared. his safe where he stored his pay was still there. it’s uh…it’s how i made the down payment on the house in snowdin. things like his lab coats were still there, too.”

Papyrus didn’t miss that remark. So Gaster had been close enough to them for them to have run the risk of being wiped from existence as well. He didn’t really like to push, but this was important.

   “WHO WAS HE?”

He almost thought Sans wasn’t going to answer, but he did after a moment, his voice low and nearly inaudible.

   “he was…our dad.”

Papyrus went very, very still. He stopped making the pretense of breathing and his grip on Sans tightened marginally.

   “…WHAT.”

Slowly, he pulled away from Sans and slid his arms up so that his hands were planted firmly on his shoulders.

   “HE’S OUR… _WHAT_?”

Sans had his eyes shut, his posture slumped. It reminded him of when Undyne had picked him up and threatened to punch him. He felt a pang in his soul as he realized that Sans was anticipating a blow of some sort, verbal or physical.

   “i never called ‘im that to his face. that was all you. and i think…i think you were the one that ended up softening gaster’s soul. he used to be harsh. cruel at times. when it was just me, i was just considered an experiment, a possible weapon and a way for him to keep living if he got dusted before his time.”

   “HOW WOULD HE—?”

Sans gently placed one hand on Papyrus’s chest and placed one on his own. His smile was lopsided, almost a little bitter in nature, his brows furrowed.

   “we’re not really conventionally related. we were made, paps. from bits of gaster’s bones and shards of his soul.”

Well he wasn’t quite expecting that nugget of information. He stared down at Sans’s hand and brought down one of his own to lace their fingers together. If he heard the quick intake of air from Sans, he made no notion that he had.

   “IS THAT WHY IT FEELS SO RIGHT TO BE WITH YOU? BECAUSE WE’RE PART OF THE SAME SOUL?”

   “m…maybe.”

Papyrus sighed to himself, dragging Sans’s hand down to lay on his lap, their fingers still entwined. What was he supposed to think of this? How much more was Sans hiding? His voice was quiet, tired.

   “WHY DID YOU NEVER TELL ME?”

   “i had, that’s the thing. you didn’t remember, so i just let it go.”

The memories of Sans’s expression dulled with grief and weariness flashed in his mind again and he felt a twitch of irritation. He was already becoming rather tired of seeing that face on Sans. For years he had seen that lack of energy, that complete lack of a will to live, carefully hidden behind a wall of jokes and wide smiles. Sans needed to be happy for once. But all the bad things needed to be flushed out first.

   “YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING.”

   “but paps, you didn’t—”

   “HE WAS OUR FATHER, SANS. NO MATTER HOW WE WERE MADE, HE WAS OUR FATHER. EVEN IF I DID NOT REMEMBER, DON’T YOU THINK I DESERVED TO KNOW?”

Sans crumpled in on himself, his grip on Papyrus’s fingers going lax.

   “…yeah.” he whispered hoarsely.

They were silent for a moment, Sans lost in his thoughts and Papyrus giving Sans a moment to breathe before continuing.

   “IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE?”

   “what?”

   “IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU ARE HIDING FROM ME?”

Sans flinched as if someone had hit him, his expression becoming more and more pained. Papyrus didn’t want to do this, he really didn’t. He hated seeing Sans in pain, but things had to change.

   “no…it was just the resets. just gaster.” he hesitated for a moment before continuing, “there were a few years where i tried fixing the machine we’d built. i had thought that, well, maybe if i fixed it, i could find a way to reverse the process that had taken gaster away. but it was a dud. nothing i did could make it work again.”

Before Sans could even register what was happening, Papyrus had leaned forward and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him forward and leaning back until they were sprawled on the couch together. Or rather, he was sprawled on top of Papyrus while said skeleton was laying back rather neatly on the cushions, his socked feet propped up on the farthest arm of the couch and his skull lightly propped on the nearest. His arms wrapped around Sans, the natural warmth he emitted seeping into his bones. Papyrus’s voice above him was gentle, soothing, a bit more relaxed than before.

   “YOU TRIED, SANS. EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T SUCCEED, YOU TRIED. THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS.”

Nodding silently, he nuzzled into the emerald green sweater Papyrus had chosen to wear today and clutched at the fabric briefly before forcing himself to relax his grip. If they were doing honesty hour, he might as well see if Paps would tell him what had brought this all on.

   “…how’d you remember, anyway?”

Papyrus answered immediately, his tone light and confident. Sans wished he could be more like Papyrus, honestly. All of this could have been prevented if he hadn’t chosen to hide everything, an oversight he wasn’t willing to ever make again.

   “I WAS LOOKING THROUGH YOUR BOOKSHELF. IT WAS A PHYSICS BOOK, AND IT HAD YOUR WRITING ALL OVER THE PAGES. AS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH IT, I WONDERED WHY YOU AVOIDED SCIENCE SO MUCH AS A CAREER. THE WHISPERS ANSWERED.”

   “oh.”

He squirmed uncomfortably.

   “well…guess you know, now.”

   “I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS THAT I DO.”

A huff of amusement left him.

   “yeah, i figured ya wouldn’t.”

They spent a few minutes in silence, Papyrus’s hands stroking along Sans’s back languidly. If he could, he’d probably be purring at how relaxing it felt. The hands worked their way back up, but didn’t stop this time, dropping to the sides and pushing at Sans’s arms, indicating for him to lean up a little. Planting his hands on the chest beneath him, Sans pushed up enough so that he could see Papyrus’s face and felt himself flush a little at the expression of love there. Okay, so Alphys was right. That look was so soul-achingly sweet that he immediately stored it away in his memory, never wanting to forget it.

   “THANK YOU, FOR TELLING ME. I KNOW I PUSHED HARD, BUT YOU COULD HAVE STILL DECLINED.”

   “y…yeah. no time like the present, right? heh.”

   “INDEED, NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT. AND YOU ARE MOST CERTAINLY A GIFT.”

His flush deepened, his expression morphing to one of embarrassment.

   “ah jeez, c’mon, paps. i mean, yeah that was a great pun, but still i really ain’t—”

He was cut off by Papyrus leaning forward, pushing both of them up easily by a few inches, and bending his head down, his teeth clacking against the crown of his skull. His grip tightened on Papyrus’s sweater and he felt his soul speed up in response to the affectionate gesture. Magic coiled where his gut would be when he took in how Papyrus’s eyesockets had become half-lidded, a very faint shade of orange appearing on his cheekbones.

   “DO NOT FIGHT ME ON THIS, SANS. YOU ARE A GIFT. YOU ARE _MY_ GIFT. AND I WILL CHERISH YOU, FOREVER AND ALWAYS.”

   “paps…”

Papyrus shifted their bodies so that he didn’t have to bend as much and began leaning down towards Sans, slow enough for the other skeleton to tell him to stop. He didn’t. Instead he leaned in the last inch or so, their teeth meeting in a soft ‘clank’. Papyrus relaxed, one of his arms snaking around Sans’s waist and the other gently stroking his left cheekbone.

This was so…nice. Better than honey. Better than spaghetti (and he didn’t say that lightly). And he wanted more. His magic responded to his wishes, forming his tongue that he occasionally used if he wanted to really taste his food. Tentatively, he opened his jaws and flicked the appendage out across Sans’s teeth, feeling the other skeleton stiffen in surprise before groaning softly to himself, his blue flush deepening even further.

When Papyrus felt Sans’s mouth open, he felt himself get a sudden case of nerves. He didn’t really know what he was doing. What if Sans was disappointed? Then he felt the cool brush of Sans’s magic against his and his mind went blank, his grip on Sans tightening. Their tongues danced around each other, testing, tasting, exploring. Papyrus seemed a little unsure, Sans noted, but his curiosity was evidently winning out, the long orange appendage stroking along the inside of his mouth and then, as if on impulse, wrapping around his. The grip Sans had on Papyrus’s sweater trembled and his arms nearly gave out, a soft whimper escaping his throat.

Stars above, Sans tasted wonderful. He had a feeling he was going to be kissing Sans a lot more in the future if he could keep tasting this, and especially if he could get more of those low, needy sounds that occasionally came out Sans’s mouth. Papyrus felt his breath hitch when he felt a hand worm its way under his sweater and gently stroke across his lowest floating rib, sending a shock of pleasure up his spine. Encouraged by the reaction, the mischievous little hand moved inward toward his spine, stopping once there and then scraping lightly against the column with the pointed tips of its fingers. Papyrus arched up at the action, a moan clawing its way out of his throat.

At that sound, the hand stilled and so did the body it was attached to. With deliberate slowness, Sans pulled away some, his breaths shaky and his cheekbones heavily saturated in blue. Papyrus really wasn’t that better off, he realized, as he drank in the sight of the tall skeleton taking in deep breaths and his own face a dark orange.

   “I…I’M SORRY. IT’S JUST THAT I…WASN’T REALLY EXPECTING IT. AND…IT FELT GOOD.”

With forced casualness, Sans took his hand out from under the sweater and placed it back on Papyrus’s chest, his forehead landing nearby. As they both attempted to regulate their breathing, he heard Papyrus let out a soft laugh.

   “NYEH HEH HEH.”

   “heh heh.”

The two skeletons dissolved into chuckles and just like that, they were okay again, Sans relaxing into his brother’s body. Moments passed, smiles on their faces, comfortable and happy. With a wry twist of his mouth, Sans tilted his head so that his right temple rested across the sternum beneath, another little chuckle escaping him.

   “this was really not what i had planned to talk about when i came home.”

There was a brief noise that urged him to continue.

   “i was going to ask if you were really okay with us being a thing. you get enough flak from the humans and a brother/brother relationship is somethin’ they frown on up here. it could put your job at risk and i know you like workin’ there.”

The arms around him tightened immediately. Papyrus’s voice was quiet but intense, a surprising hint of a growl laced into his tone.

   “IF YOU ARE TRYING TO TELL ME TO GIVE THIS UP IN ORDER TO PRESERVE MY STANDING, I AM GOING TO HAVE TO STOP YOU RIGHT THERE. THERE ARE MANY JOBS, SANS. THERE IS ONLY ONE OF YOU.”

   “look. bro. i get it, i do. i’ve wanted this for prolly a lot longer than even i’m aware of, but you nearly…” he tried swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, “ya nearly left me behind because some folks hated you just for existing. this is one of them sensitive topics that would just make them more violent. i’d be asking you to keep it restricted to the house, and i know hiding ain’t really your thing.”

He felt one of Papyrus’s bare hands stroke along his skull and felt a note of confusion when an amused hum rumbled in Papyrus’s chest.

   “I AM GLAD YOU CAME TO ME ABOUT THIS. CHANCES ARE YOU WERE JUST GOING TO RUN AWAY AGAIN, YES?”

Sans cringed at the accuracy in the statement.

   “I THOUGHT AS MUCH. NO, SANS. I AM NOT GOING TO COLLAPSE INTO A FIT OF DESPAIR IF I CANNOT KISS YOU IN PUBLIC. THAT IS MUCH TOO INTIMATE OF AN ACT TO SHOWCASE TO OTHERS, ANYWAY. GIVEN MY RECENT…EXPERIENCES…I AM NOT ENTIRELY KEEN ON ATTEMPTING TO IMPRESS HUMANS. ALL THAT MATTERS IS YOU. IT _WOULD_ BE NICE HOWEVER, IF WE COULD TELL OUR FRIENDS.”

   “really? you’d…you’d be okay with all this? with keeping it secret from humans?”

   “THEY DON’T NEED TO KNOW THE INNER WORKINGS OF OUR LIVES, BESIDES, HAVING TO HIDE OUR RELATIONSHIP IN PUBLIC DOES NOT EQUATE TO SHAME. HOW DOES THAT PHRASE GO AGAIN? ‘DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR’?”

Sans leaned up and stared at Papyrus, his expression one of awe.

   “you’re incredible, you know that?”

   “OF COURSE I AM!”

He saw the way pain and fear flashed across his face when he said ‘experiences’. Sans was loathe to wipe that happy expression off Papyrus’s face, but he knew what trauma looked like. He’d felt it often enough.

   “how are you feeling?”

Discomfort crossed Papyrus’s face for a split second before being hidden by confusion.

   “FEELING ABOUT WHAT?”

   “about what happened last night.”

He cut him off as he opened his mouth to speak.

   “and be honest. we’re doing honesty hour here, you need to participate too.”

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Papyrus spoke again.

   “I’M…BETTER.”

   “you sure?”

   “SANS..”

   “i’m not gonna judge you pap. you’re not required to be a rock all the time. you’re helpin me out. let me help you out.”

Papyrus looked away, stomping down the urge to cry again.

   “I…MAY HAVE HAD A SMALL FIT THIS MORNING. IT REALLY DID HELP, THOUGH! SO DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME, DEAR BROTHER. I WILL BE FINE.”

   “...alright, if you’re sure. just. i’m here if you ever need to talk, ok?”

   “OKAY.”

There was another lull in the conversation as they gathered their thoughts. Sans spoke again, his need to be sure rearing its head.

   “so you’re really okay with this?”

   “WELL, YES. REALLY, I SHOULD BE ASKING _YOU_ THAT QUESTION.”

He felt confusion wash through him at that.  

   “what, why?”

   “I DIDN’T REALLY GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO THINK YESTERDAY. I JUST…ACTED. WHAT IF I’D PRESSURED YOU? WHAT IF YOU WANTED OR NEEDED SOMEONE SMARTER OR FUNNIER?”

Almost immediately, Sans was shifting up and pressing his teeth against Papyrus’s again, stunning him into silence.

   “never, paps. i could never want anyone except you. got it?”

He saw Papyrus smile, his eyes narrowing in affection and he felt his soul flutter in response.

   “I FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY. I LOVE YOU, SANS.”

Gods, he’d never get tired of hearing that.

   “love you too, pap.”

With that, he sank back down and curled up against Papyrus, contentment swirling inside him.

   “SO.” he drew out the ‘o’, making Sans raise a browridge.

   “SINCE WE CAN’T GO OUT IN PUBLIC, DO YOU THINK WE COULD HAVE A DATE HERE AT THE HOUSE?”

Sans sputtered.

   “a, a date?”

   “WHY, OF COURSE! ALL GOOD RELATIONSHIPS NEED DATES!”

He wondered if this had anything to do with that ridiculous “dating manual” he’d seen Papyrus poring over in the Underground when he thought no one was looking. Why hadn’t he tossed that thing out yet?

   “uh…sure.”

   “WONDERFUL! HOW DOES TWO WEEKS FROM NOW SOUND?”

   “okay.”

   “SPLENDID!”

Eh, he conceded. What would be the harm in one date?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well damn.


	11. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sans is teased mercilessly (and unwittingly) or  
> In which Papyrus settles on his plans

For the last two weeks leading up to their date, Papyrus had steadily been driving Sans up a wall. Actually, if he didn’t know any better, he’d think that Papyrus was very gradually seducing him. Every day had contained at least one gesture of affection - a kiss on the top of his skull, a quick hug before leaving for work, a tingling brush of (increasingly often) bare fingers against his shoulders and the back of his neck as Papyrus passed by where he was seated at their small dining table munching on his BLT…then there were other moments, moments that were far more heated, again instigated by Papyrus.

_One day near the end of the first week while they’d both been heading up to their respective rooms, Papyrus had stopped and turned shortly before reaching his door and calling out to Sans, beckoning him over. He’d swiftly been pulled into a hug, his bones nearly creaking with the force. Choking out a light protest, he’d been let go, only for Papyrus to gently grasp his chin and pull him in for a kiss. It had started innocently enough and he’d gotten lost in the feeling until he heard a low whine and felt his body repositioned until it was touching the wall. Sans’s breath had hitched, his face going dark blue and Papyrus had seemed to have a surge of energy at the sound, breaking away for a brief moment and lifting him up so that Sans had to wrap his legs around his hips. He’d swiftly returned to kissing Sans, magic thrumming in his body so strongly that the smaller skeleton could feel tingles when their tongues touched._

_Sans had desperately tried not to let his magic get out of control, but he’d faltered when he felt Papyrus break away and nose down along the side of his face, breathing in deeply near the juncture of Sans’s neck and shoulder._

_“p-paps,” he’d stammered, trying to regulate his breathing, “w-what’re you—”_

_A choked yelp escaped him which then devolved into a low moan when he felt Papyrus graze his teeth against his neck then lick at the area to soothe it. Against his wishes, his hips had twitched, creating delicious friction between their bodies. He’d wanted to whine when Papyrus suddenly stopped moving, his bones nearly vibrating with restrained movement. Slowly, oh so very slowly, Papyrus had pulled away, his face bright orange in embarrassment._

_“I’M…SORRY. I DIDN’T MEAN TO GET SO…UM…” he’d never seen Papyrus stumble over himself so much. Had he not been so riled up at the time, he’d have commented on how cute it was._

_“…EXCITED.” he’d finished feebly._

_“paps, it’s okay, rea—”_

_“YOU WILL TAKE MY APOLOGY, SANS.”_

_“oh. uh…apology accepted?”_

_Papyrus had nodded, his eyes shutting with satisfaction and his hands coming to rest on his hips. After a couple of seconds, though, he’d stepped forward again, his right hand coming up to gently stroke Sans’s cheek. The look on his face was so tender it made Sans’s soul ache._

_“GOODNIGHT, MY SANS.” he murmured._

_His entire face had gone blue._

_“g-goodnight, pap.”_

_He’d waited until Papyrus had closed the door to his room before dazedly going into his own, locking the door behind him. Promptly, he reverted to being a teenager, flopping into his bed and screaming into his pillow. Everywhere Papyrus’s hands had touched tingled, and the area where he’d been bitten tingling twice as much. His magic had roiled inside of him, desperately searching for what it had decided was its counterpart, and he’d wholeheartedly agreed with the decision. He was Papyrus’s, just as much as Papyrus was his. The magic wasn’t going to go away on its own any time soon, so he’d decided to spend it all at once, reaching down toward his pelvis and hissing as his fingers grazed his hip. So goddamn sensitive…_

_The remainder of the evening had been spent with his trembling hands down his shorts and his pillow between his teeth to swallow his cries._

* * *

 

A repeat of that particular event almost happened two days into the next week, but before Papyrus could haul him onto the kitchen counter (who knew he’d be so forceful? He was certainly a loud personality, but letting his desire get the better of him like this was something of a surprise, not that Sans minded in _any_ capacity whatsoever), there’d been a knock at the door. The one quickest to become composed, Sans answered the door and discovered Alphys and Undyne dressed casually for a day out on the town. He felt Papyrus’s presence at his back and glanced back to see a lingering dusting of orange on his cheekbones. Cute.

   “Hey nerds, Alphys and I were gonna go get lunch. Wanna tag along? It can be like a double date thing or whatever.”

So Undyne was okay with them. Sans wondered if Alphys had anything to do with that.

   “COULD IT JUST BE…A FRIENDLY OUTING?”

Undyne eyed him curiously.

   “I guess, but…aren’t you two a thing? What’s wrong with it being a date?”

He didn’t have to look back to know that Papyrus was wringing his hands in a show of nerves and shyness.

   “W-WELL…I’D ALREADY HAD A DATE SET UP. AND. I KIND OF WANTED THAT TO BE THE FIRST ONE?”

It was quiet for a moment before Undyne snorted and shook her head.

   “Sure, sure. Whatever your reasons, I’ll go with it. ‘Friendly outing’ it is.”

There was a relieved sigh behind him.

   “THANK YOU. THEN YES, WE’D LOVE TO COME ALONG!”

   “thanks for askin’, bro.”

Realizing his overstep, he stumbled over himself sputtering out apologies and half formed questions. The two ladies in front of them just looked at each other as Sans started chuckling and waved his hands in an attempt to calm Papyrus down.

   “relax, relax. i was just jokin’. i woulda come along whether you asked or not. it’s food.”

   “D-don’t you dare think you’re going to skip out on the bill. We each pay for half.”

Go figure Alphys would catch him before he could even try. He felt Papyrus’s hand land heavily on his shoulder.

   “HE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EVEN IF HE WANTED TO, ALPHYS! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR.”

Groaning lightly to himself, he slumped as if defeated and moved away past Papyrus and further into the house, heading toward the stairwell.

   “welp, guess that’s that. i am enslaved. i must do the bidding of the evil and great papyrus.”

   “HEY!”

They all laughed at that, and Sans went to put on a pair of sneakers and pair of jeans in place of his usual fare. If Papyrus was going to look nice (when did he not?) he should look semi-decent too, right?

Lunch was held at a small café just inside city limits that had humans who at the very least tolerated monsters. There were a lot of odd looks since Undyne and Papyrus always seemed to at least go up a handful of decibels when they were in close proximity to each other, but otherwise it was a very relaxing afternoon. Upon returning home and wishing Alphys and Undyne safety, Sans flopped himself on the couch, rubbing the area where his stomach would be absent-mindedly.

   “who knew soup and sandwiches would be so filling?”

   “AND IT IS FAR HEALTHIER THAN YOUR USUAL FARE! ACTUALLY…” he put a hand across his mouth in thought, looking over at Sans from where he stood. “YOU DIDN’T DROWN YOUR FOOD IN KETCHUP LIKE YOU USUALLY DO.”

He sat down in the cushion Sans wasn’t occupying, his hand coming down to rest against his chest.

   “ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

Sans chuckled to himself, laying his hand atop Papyrus’s.

   “yeah, i’m actually perfectly fine. i just didn’t feel like it today, that’s all.”

   “…ARE YOU SURE?”

He squirmed a bit at the question.

   “okay. so…maybe I didn’t wanna embarrass you?”

   “SANS.”

His eyelights turned up to see Papyrus looking down at him with concern on his face.

   “YOU COULD NEVER EMBARRASS ME. YOU HAVE YOUR HABITS JUST LIKE I DO. MAYBE THEY’RE A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF MY TASTE AND PERHAPS A TAD UNUSUAL, BUT THEY’RE PART OF WHAT MAKE YOU…WELL. YOU. I WOULDN’T CHANGE WHO YOU ARE FOR THE WORLD.”

It was silent for a moment.

   “…really?”

   “YES, REALLY. I LOVE YOU SANS. NO MATTER IF YOU EAT KETCHUP STRAIGHT OUT OF A BOTTLE OR HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PICKING UP SOCKS OR EVEN IF YOU EVER HAD SIX ARMS AND A TAIL. I’D STILL LOVE YOU.”

Sans closed his eyes, something he couldn’t easily identify swelling in his chest.

   “…i love you too, pap. i really do.”

Maybe one day— _maybe_ —he’d grow a little tired of how often Papyrus chose to remind him of his love for him, but right now, he enjoyed it. Perhaps a little too much.

* * *

 

As the week continued to pass by, he noticed Papyrus gradually growing more fidgety. He’d attempted asking Papyrus what was wrong, but the tall skeleton would just smile and dodge the question. The day before their date, Sans put his foot down because he’d walked into the kitchen, calling out a greeting to Papyrus and he’d promptly dropped the mug he was taking out to make hot chocolate. It had been a bit chillier than normal, a cold front, the news channel had called it. Apparently it was a herald of the approaching winter, the fall slowly drawing to a close.

Papyrus stared down at the shards in dismay, his cheeks orange in shame.

   “paps, what’s going on? you’ve never been this jumpy, not even with everything that happened before.”

   “I…OH, STARS. I’M SO SORRY, SANS.”

   “paps, talk to me. what’s got you so worked up?”

Papyrus sighed, walking past him to sit down on their couch, his chin falling into his hands.

   “I JUST…OKAY, THIS MIGHT SOUND…SILLY…”

Sans was silent as he waited, replicating their positions from the last talk they had, the top of his skull brushing against Papyrus’s thigh.

   “I DON’T WANT TO MESS UP OUR DATE IN ANY WAY.”

   “pap, how would you even mess it up?”

   “I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING, SANS. I’M AFRAID I’LL DO SOMETHING WRONG.”

He was almost offended when he heard Sans start to chuckle softly.

   “WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?”

   “you’re not silly at all, bro. wanna know a little secret?”

A secret? What did that have to do with what they were talking about? Sans closed one eye, his smile tugging upwards ever so slightly.

   “i don’t know what i’m doing, either.”

   “WHAT?”

   “yeah, completely clueless. i’ve never been in a relationship before, you know that. i’m just as inexperienced as you are. and not a day has gone by since you became mine that i think about how i may or may not fuck up.”

   “LANGUAGE.” Papyrus blurted on instinct.

   “i mean…” Sans trailed off, his eyelights darting off to the side. “i do get to call you mine, right?”

Papyrus raised a browridge incredulously.

   “WHY WOULD YOU ASK SOMETHING LIKE THAT?”

The smaller skeleton scratched at his cheekbone with his index finger, a few beads of sweat developing near the crown of his skull.

   “well. i kinda just assumed. i figure relationships have that step where one person gets asked out or somethin’ like that.”

Meekly, his eyelights flicked back up to Papyrus. He looked so small, his shoulders hunched forward unsurely.

   “OH…I MEAN. DO WE HAVE TO? IT’D JUST BE A FORMALITY AT THIS POINT.”

   “i just thought maybe you’d be all up for traditions. maybe it’d come back to bite you later, nagging at you when we’re both old and got arthritis in all our joints. ‘that buffoon sans never asked me out’” he affected an old crochety voice, higher pitched than his usual tone. “’how could he never think to honor something so important?’ and then you’d hit me with your cane and my arm would break and that’d open up a whole other can of worms.”

The whole time Sans was talking, Papyrus was doing his best to stifle a laugh, warring with the overwhelming surge of love washing through him like a tidal wave. The laugh won and it filled the living room, loud and warm and littered with a few involuntary ‘NYEH’s. He glanced down at Sans, seeing the blue flush on his cheekbones. Stars, why had he never realized how beautiful he was?

   “w-what’re you laughing at? it’s the truth!”

   “HEH HEH…NYEHEHE…OH, SANS. YOU IMAGINED OUR LIFE THAT FAR IN ALREADY? I’M TOUCHED BY THE IDEA! BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY NOT HIT YOU WITH MY CANE, I HAVE MORE TACT THAN THAT. IF ANYTHING, YOU’D RECEIVE A VERY FIRM SCOLDING AND A REQUEST FOR AN APOLOGY HUG.”

   “oh. well. alright then.”

   “YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, MY DEAR SANS. I BECAME YOURS THAT MOMENT I KISSED YOU IN THE FOREST, AND YOU BECAME MINE THE MOMENT YOU KISSED BACK. I…SUPPOSE WE COULD CALL EACH OTHER ‘BOYFRIENDS’?? IT JUST SOUNDS OFF, THOUGH. NOT NEARLY STRONG ENOUGH.”

Sans was quiet for a moment, mulling over something Alphys said in their long chat. It sounded completely cliché and ridiculous, but it was about as strong a word as he could come up with. And his magic certainly felt drawn to Papyrus, so much moreso after all their kisses, their magic touching and feeling like…like it was right.

   “how about…soulmates?”

Papyrus immediately perked up at the word.

   “SOULMATES, YOU SAY? THAT CERTAINLY DOES CARRY A CERTAIN WEIGHT! AND IT SOUNDS SO PLEASANT…YES. I LIKE THAT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO THINK THAT WE ARE SOULMATES, SANS?”

   “there’s a way to make that more literal i think, but yeah, i’d definitely be okay with that word.”

   “WHAT WAY IS THAT?”

The ceiling was all of a sudden very interesting. Turning a bright shade of blue, he tried distracting himself and attempted to pick out patterns in the white paint.

   “uh. well. it…uh. shit,” he cursed softly. No reprimand came this time for his slip, only a patient silence, waiting for him to continue, “uh. it involves our souls.”

   “YES?”

   “it’s…well. i’ve only heard about it, never really seen it since souls are really private things. it’s called marking. we uh…we exchange a little magic. not anything like what’s involved in…uh. in creating more skeletons. that’s a more drawn-out process.”

Papyrus resisted the urge to chuckle despite his interest in the subject. He had no idea something like ‘marking’ existed, but it sounded like something that he would love to do with Sans. If Sans could be a part of him forever, he’d be more than happy to do whatever it took. He shifted himself slowly, lifting Sans slightly so he could slide his legs underneath Sans’s shoulders. Gently, he stroked Sans’s skull, trying to get him to calm down and reorganize his thoughts.

   “I SEE. WELL THAT CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE AN INTERESTING IDEA.”

He dropped it at that and let them both soak in the silence, his thumb gliding back and forth across his skull.

   “THANK YOU FOR REASSURING ME, SANS. I FEEL BETTER, NOW.”

   “eh, think nothing of it. it’s part of the job description to make my ‘mate happy, right?”

Mate. He knew it was an abbreviation of ‘soulmate’ but wowie did that certainly have a ring to it. It seemed…almost a touch more _intimate_ , in a way. He liked it.

   “AH, WELL. THAT IS. YES?” He hadn’t meant to phrase that as a question, “YES. IT IS. AND I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE SURE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY TOO!”

   “what a sweetheart,” Sans murmured.

Oh.

He watched with a small sense of wonder as Sans fell asleep in his lap almost instantly. He’d always been curious about how Sans was able to fall asleep so quickly—and so often!—but had always just chalked it up to laziness. Certainly his ministrations on Sans’s skull were soothing, but it shouldn’t have been so easy to fall asleep. When had that started again? He flew back through his memories, his passage through the black wall becoming easier as it weakened. Sans had been very young, thirteen at least. Onset of puberty? It had taken time away from them playing together, time away from Sans teaching him whatever Gaster passed on while they were working together. He’d find Sans sleeping in odd places, slumped against a wall or in the elevator leading down to their home, sometimes even at the desk that had become their makeshift dining table, his face smashed into his food. It had been bad back then, coming suddenly and not giving Sans a chance to get somewhere comfortable. At least now Sans could get somewhere safe before succumbing to his unusually high need for sleep. Papyrus would make sure he always had a safe place to be, he swore it.

As gently as he could manage, he slipped out from under Sans and picked him up, carrying him up to his room. After he had tucked Sans in and gone back downstairs to make himself a tea, he went over his plans again. A tiny voice in the back of his head told him to reschedule since Sans was working, that he should make it so that they could have the whole day together, but his days off didn’t often align with Sans’s. This week happened to be something of a pleasant surprise, actually. It had given him plenty of time to spend with Sans and…getting…more and more…familiar…with his mouth…’good lord,’ he thought to himself. He’d certainly not been shy in showing his affection, had he? He couldn’t help it. It was the most expressive he’d ever seen Sans and it was all directed at him. How could he not want more of it? Forcefully, he dragged his mind back to tomorrow, pushing away the phantom sensation of Sans grinding down on his hips. A pleasant shudder worked its way down his spine.

The date would go well.

He just had a feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: THE DATE.


	12. The Language of Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sans has an episode or  
> In which Papyrus has an extra special dose of remembering or  
> In which there is finally a damn date or  
> In which good things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one HELL of a doozy. Easily twice the length of my longest chapter so far. So I hope you're sitting down, you may be here a while.  
> That being said, enjoy. <3
> 
> Warning: Panic attack, violence via flashback, nsfw

He was nervous. Of course, why wouldn’t he be? He shifted anxiously in his chair, his eyes roving across the expanse of the community pool he guarded. Papyrus had been quiet when they’d shared a skeleton kiss just behind the front door and he’d stepped outside into the bright gray morning. It was amazing people still insisted on going to the pool in such chilly weather, but he supposed humans could be strange and pull off crazier things with their hardier bodies. He reflected back to the oddly serene expression on Papyrus’s face. He had been a bundle of nerves the previous evening. Their talk couldn’t have possibly helped that much, could it have? Maybe. Papyrus was nothing if not optimistic. He just needed a bit of a push when he let things get to him.

It was just a date, he told himself. It would be fine. But he couldn’t help the frission of energy that crawled along his bones. He felt oddly excited about the prospect. The date itself was just another formality, another thing to say that they did as a couple that couples normally did. A pleased smile broke through his nervous twitch.

Couple.

That really was a thing that they were, huh? Everything he’d ever wanted, sprung on him when he’d thought he was at his lowest. Well. Not lowest, perhaps. There had been worse times. Much worse times, times that had ruined him, broken him, shattered him into thousands of unfixable pieces.

Unbidden, memory upon memory flitted through his head, each darker and more cruel than the one previous. In a rush of panic, Sans attempted to stem the flow, his breaths suddenly coming in harsh and choppy gasps. His chest stung with the endless phantom swipes of a blade, his hands trembled with the sensation of dust between his fingers. Black spots danced before him, his magic writhing around his soul in response to his emotions. Not good. He hadn’t had an episode in a while. With as much strength as he could muster, he gasped out Steph’s name, his fingers digging into the arms of his chair, small gouges being made in the plastic. Magic curled in flickering wisps near his fingertips, begging to be used, to silence whatever imagined threat he was seeing. Faintly he heard the high-pitched voice of Steph near the side of his skull, beckoning to him softly. She didn’t seem to want to touch him, a smart move. Touch…probably wouldn’t be a good idea.

   “need…” he wheezed, “to go.”

   “Go, go on, I’ll cover you. Do you need help getting home?”

   “no. **d o n ’ t** tou **ch** …i’ll b **e** f **i** ne.”

Having never heard that particular tone from Sans before, the girl backed away quickly, her hands held up defensively in a sign of peace.

   “Okay. Okay. I’ll let Adrian know you went home. Get out of here, Sans. Take care of yourself, okay?”

He managed a short, stiff nod before disappearing with a flare of his magic.

* * *

 

Papyrus was taking out the ingredients needed for their dinner when he heard the sound of displaced air that always preceded one of Sans’s shortcuts. Odd. He should have only been two-thirds of the way through his shift. A second later, he heard the thump of something hitting the floor and ragged gasps cutting through the air. Nearly throwing the food down on the counter, Papyrus dashed out of the kitchen to find Sans curled up their floor, magic rolling off of him like raging blue-white fire. He gave no note to the shock of pain that lanced up his femurs as he crashed down to his knees beside Sans, his hands reaching down to pick up the small body. The magic flared angrily.

   “ **D O N ‘ T  T O U C H  M E ! !** ”

Papyrus flinched back, his hands curling against his chest in distress. This was not how he was hoping their day would go. At all. But no, that was selfish thinking. He had to find out what was going on.

   “SANS…WHAT’S WRONG?”

   “it hurts…it hurts so much…i can’t…so many timelines…it hurts…”

Daring to approach Sans again, he reached his arms out slowly, trying to convey his intentions as much as he could. If he could calm Sans’s magic…

   “PLEASE LET ME HELP YOU.”

   “it hurts…it hurts, it hurts, god it hurts…” he repeated the words like a mantra, his voice shaking with restrained sobs.

A writhing wisp of blue magic stilled as Papyrus’s fingers came in contact with it. It could feel the other magic calling out, humming softly in an attempt to soothe. The other monster meant no harm. It was not a threat. As dangerous as Sans looked, his whole body nearly engulfed in blue flame-like wisps, his magical eye dilated wildly, the inner ring of glowing yellow clearly visible against the outer ring of blue, he finally provided no resistance as Papyrus gently dragged him close.

   “SHHH. IT’S ALRIGHT, SANS. I’M HERE. YOU’RE HERE. IT’S OKAY. IT’S OKAY…”

The smaller body shuddered against him, choked sounds of distress leaving the curled form. Seconds bled into minutes, the gentle rocking and murmured words of comfort from Papyrus never ceasing. What had triggered such a bad reaction? He’d seen Sans after his nightmares, taken note of the dead look in his eye, the trembling in his hands and never known exactly what to do except try to distract him. Sans’s shaking eased, his whimpers and growls giving way to deep, albeit shaky, breaths. Even despite this, Papyrus never let go and never stopped his soothing motions.

   “ARE YOU HERE WITH ME, SANS?”

After a few moments of no answer, Sans jerkily nodded his head.

   “DO YOU THINK YOU’D BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED?”

   “…it…was an accident. i was thinking…about us…how lucky i was…how things were so good after…after i thought i was gonna lose you. the memories…they don’t stay away no matter how much i try. i…it’s been too much. i can’t.”

Papyrus clutched him even closer.

   “HOW MANY TIMELINES HAVE YOU SEEN…?”

   “…i don’t remember. i lost count.”

   “AND IN EACH ONE..?”

Sans shook his head.

   “not at first. the kid started out nice. each reset they got more and more deranged. it was the twenty-seventh reset when they finally killed you. apparently they hadn’t considered you worth killing in the beginning. once they had, they…saw what it did to me. so they made it a habit to kill you before i could get the chance to stop ‘em.” he paused, taking a moment to breathe—a comforting gesture—“there were maybe only a handful of times where they killed me first. when i’d wake up in the next reset, i’d wonder about you, wonder if you still tried talkin’ ‘em down; i prayed to anything and everything that you never found out, and if you did, that you didn’t suffer long.”

The tall skeleton was quiet, ruminating over the scenario. What would he have done? What would he have felt? He felt a small vibration in his soul and a ghost of something fluttered in his mind, similar to his blocked memories, but stronger.

He remembered hearing the whispers, saying that one of the sentries near the Ruins had gotten killed while sleeping.

He remembered being confused, afraid, the wild prickings of denial starting in the back of his skull when he found the pile of dust that undoubtedly belonged to his brother gathered near the base of a tree.

He remembered falling to his knees, shaking, as he called out to the pile, knowing he’d get no answer.

He remembered his soul feeling like it had been torn into thousands of pieces.

He remembered facing down a shadowed form, his emotions spiraling down into uncontrollable fury.

He remembered pain, desperation, the wild swings of his arms and the warm splatter of blood against his breastplate and sword.

He remembered hot beams of energy at his back, distorted and indecipherable masculine screams, his voice, he realized.

He remembered the warmth of tears on his cheeks.

He remembered the weight of Sans’s jacket on his body.

He remembered very clearly the face of the child, Frisk but not-Frisk, staring up at him with blood flecked on their lips, a surprised and delighted look in their red eyes while they slowly died. Their body was pinned to the wall of the Judgement Hall by a single spear, evidently thrust strongly enough to send a large fissure up the light-touched stone. The spear itself was disturbingly similar in appearance to an intact spine, the spinous and transverse processes bleeding in color to a cyan blue. He saw his hand holding the far end of it, and knew that behind his grip was a draconic skull the length of his ulna, glowing blue-yellow eyes in its hollow sockets. The weapon was equal parts melee weapon and ranged, the skull able to emit a super-condensed beam of magic at far targets. This weapon was his tribute to Sans, his way of pretending that his brother was still with him in some way.

He remembered how to summon that weapon now.

   “I WAS VERY UPSET.”

Sans nodded in agreement, murmuring “yea, i bet you w—” and froze as he registered what Papyrus was implying. He’d felt that flutter in his soul while Papyrus was quiet.

   “…pap?”

   “HM?” Papyrus hummed distractedly.

The bundle in his arms shifted to look at him. Sans’s eyesockets were wide, incredulous and afraid.

   “you…remember those resets?”

   “ONLY IN FLASHES. FRISK…NO, NOT FRISK. SOMEONE THAT WAS WEARING FRISK’S BODY. I SAW THEM. I FOUGHT THEM IN THE HALL.”

Sans attempted swallowing past the lump in his throat.

   “I KILLED THEM.”

He tried very hard to restrain his quick inhalation of surprise, but it still slipped past. His brother had killed?

   “you did…?”

   “MANY TIMES.”

Feebly, Sans tried pulling away from the warmth of his brother, feeling guilt course through him. That pulse…maybe their increased proximity and the mingling of their magic had caused this, caused this ability to remember resets.

   “i didn’t want this for you.”

   “THAT WAS NOT YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE, SANS. IT’S GOOD THAT I REMEMBER THIS. IT REMINDS ME HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO ME, HOW PRECIOUS AND FLEETING OUR LIVES CAN BE. AND IT REMINDS YOU THAT YOU CANNOT KEEP ME INNOCENT FOREVER.”

   “wh—”

Papyrus sighed softly to himself, tracing small circles into the sleeve of Sans’s jacket.

   “I KNOW THAT’S WHAT YOU WERE ULTIMATELY TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. YOU WANTED ME TO REMAIN UNTAINTED BY THE CRUELTIES OF THE WORLD, DID YOU NOT? I UNDERSTAND, BROTHER, I DO. BUT IT WAS INEVITABLE. AND I FIND THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN KNOWING THAT OUR WORLD IS NOT BLACK AND WHITE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I’D LIKE TO BELIEVE SO.”

Sans stopped struggling. Papyrus was right, of course. It would have been impossible to keep all the evils and injustices of the world hidden from his brother’s keen gaze. It all circled back to him hampering Papyrus’s growth as an individual. He wanted to feel guilty, but he could feel Papyrus’s arms tighten in warning, as if he knew what Sans was thinking. His teeth came down to rest on the top of Sans’s skull with a faint ‘click’.

   “THERE IS NOTHING I WOULD NOT DO FOR YOU, SANS, JUST AS I KNOW THERE IS NOTHING YOU WOULD NOT DO FOR ME. EVEN IF IT SACRIFICED ANY CONCEPT OF ‘INNOCENCE’ OR OTHERWISE.”

He wanted to protest, to tell Papyrus to always look out for himself for his sake, so he could take a measure of comfort in knowing he’d at least be safe, but Papyrus was talking again, nuzzling his skull affectionately.

   “I BELIEVE THAT IS ENOUGH DEEP CONVERSATION FOR NOW. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF RESCHEDULING OUR DATE AND YOU LOOK READY TO DROP. LET US GET YOU TO YOUR ROOM SO YOU CAN REST. I’LL WAKE YOU LATER THIS EVENING WHEN DINNER IS READY.”

Realizing that Papyrus was right as a wave of drowsiness swept through him, he nodded his assent and allowed himself to be carried up the steps to his room where he laid down gently on his bed. He felt a brush of teeth as soft as a whisper against his forehead, then registered the sound of his door clicking shut. His foggy mind went back to the flutter in his chest and what that could mean. Soul resonance? Fascinating, his inner voice mumbled. He’d need to investigate it more later. Non-invasively, he made sure to tack on.

   “’m not m’pops,” he mumbled, his words slurring.

He heard a soft laugh in his head, his own probably, and drifted off to sleep without any more thoughts plaguing him.

* * *

 

As Papyrus fixed the crumpled rug in their living room, his thoughts kept going back to his memories of the resets. The resets where he’d lost Sans stood out the clearest. There were others, many more, probably as many as Sans had seen, buzzing around in his head like a swarm of locusts, but they were too foggy to discern. Perhaps to remember them, he’d need to retain close contact to Sans. Not a high price to pay, he thought with a tiny smile. A buzzing in his back pocket shook him out of his thoughts and he reached for it. Four messages.

One from Alphys: _Good luck with your date! =^.^=_ He replied with a simple thank-you.

One from Undyne: _Don’t wreck him too bad, Papyrus. I don’t think that nerd would be able to handle you at full power._ He felt himself flush at that and immediately sent back a scolding reply.

One from King Asgore: _I wish you both the most pleasant of evenings. Alphys couldn’t quite control her excitement when she heard about you two, and I cannot say I blame her! May I suggest tea by an open fire?_ They didn’t have tea, nor did they have a fireplace (though the thought of having one was appealing-he’d talk to Sans about it), the idea was pleasant. He responded with a (like overly) polite and formal response, thanking him for the well-wishes.

One from—he nearly dropped the phone as the picture of the sender morphed to show a small red-eyed child with a distorted smile. He blinked several times to shake it off and tried ignoring the shaking of his fingers and the coiling of magic. The face of the child was back to normal, showing Frisk’s bright—and thankfully much more normal-looking—smile.

_*I heard from Alphys that you and Sans were in love! Are you going to get married?_

Knowing what he knew now…no, he still loved them, very much so. His instincts told him to be afraid, to never trust this child that had allowed (allowed? No, impossible) such a total possession by the demon that had killed his brother, killed him, killed everyone he’d ever known or cared about. He fought against those instincts.

_WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET MARRIED, HUMAN. IT IS FAR TOO EARLY FOR THAT._

_*Will you in the future, though?_ came the almost immediate reply. Shouldn’t they be with Toriel, doing something other than messaging him on their cell?

_I DO NOT KNOW! PERHAPS SOMEDAY. SANS AND I WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK AT LENGTH ABOUT IT._

_*It’d be amazing if you did. I call being ring bearer! I wanna pretend to be Frodo carrying the Ring to Mount Doom._

_WHAT?_

_*It’s a movie I saw. Are you going to have babies?_

Papyrus’s face started burning fiercely at the question.

_YOU SHOULD NOT BE ASKING THESE KINDS OF QUESTIONS, HUMAN. THEY ARE NOT REALLY THINGS YOU NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT!_

_*How DO monsters have babies anyway?_

_I AM NOT THE MONSTER TO ASK. TALK TO YOUR MOTHER, PREFERABLY WHEN YOU ARE MUCH, **MUCH** OLDER._

_*Okay! But are you gonna?_

_I AM NOT ANSWERING THAT. IT IS NOT ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS IN THE FIRST PLACE._

_*It is, too! That means I’d get cousins!_

_OUR CONVERSATION IS OVER. GOODBYE, HUMAN._

He slid the phone back into his pocket, his cheeks orange but a smile trying to break through. Leave it to determined and capable Frisk to dispel his fears and remind him why he loved them so much. Sighing happily to himself, his faith (mostly) restored, he turned to the kitchen to get busy.

* * *

 

Sans woke at the sensation of a hand shaking him lightly. Blinking blearily, he focused on the shape of his brother standing next to his bed, a beacon in the darkness of his room. He was half-serious as he thought that, wondering at the odd brightness of his brother. White. Ah, so that was it. Papyrus was wearing white.

   “COME ON, SANS, IT’S TIME TO GET UP. REFRESH YOURSELF, AND I WILL SEE YOU DOWNSTAIRS.”

Papyrus took a single step away before hesitating and turning his torso toward Sans.

   “OH. AND WEAR SOMETHING A LITTLE NICER THAN NORMAL.”

Grunting in acknowledgement, Sans crawled out of bed at a glacial pace, his mind still trying to catch up with the rest of him. Part of him said to go back to bed, and he was tempted to listen to it, but the rest of him kicked in, saying he’d never forgive himself if he disappointed Papyrus by denying him this one thing. Sighing to himself, he trudged over to his closet, scanning over the scant items with dull eyelights. Without much thought, he picked out a deep violet turtleneck that Papyrus insisted he buy a few months ago, claiming that it complimented the blue of his magic. When he’d blushed at the comment, Papyrus had held the shirt up to his chest, studying him. With a bright smile, he’d pulled it away, proclaiming that he’d been right, as The Great Papyrus was always bound to be. Smiling fondly at the memory, he picked out a pair of soft black pants (hemmed to perfect length courtesy of Papyrus) and carried his choices over to the small bathroom situated between their rooms (the large cartoon bone painting had been situated downstairs to accommodate the new addition to their house), slipping inside and shutting the door. Whatever was downstairs smelled good, and oddly familiar, but he didn’t want to spoil whatever it was Papyrus had planned for them.

After a quick shower and a thorough toweling down of his bones, he slipped his outfit on and stared at himself. He snorted. _Classy_. The clothes were certainly comfortable, dare he say almost more comfortable than his usual attire, but this was far more effort to put on. Not only that, but it didn’t have the same nostalgia value. He wouldn’t make it a habit to change his look. It wasn’t his _style_. He snickered to himself.

   “to shoe or not to shoe? that _is_ the question…”

He thought on it for a few more moments.

   “nah.”

Taking a quick shortcut to his room, he pulled on a soft pair of black slippers that he refused to wear outside the house—he’d deemed them too valuable a purchase to get sullied with dirt—and slowly walked to his door.

   “welp. here goes nothin’.”

Turning the handle, he stepped out into the hallway and made his way downstairs, noting that every light was off except for the single hanging fixture in the dining room and a small lamp in the living room. On the table to one side was a small vase of flowers. Curious, Sans walked up to the vase and touched one soft petal, wondering when Papyrus had ever gotten the time to get them. He tried remembering what they were, dragging them up slowly. Blue iris. White chrysanthemum. What a strange combination. When he turned to look into the kitchen where Papyrus was moving about with a bounce in his step and a nonsensical tune on his tongue, he spied another vase, narrow and tall, holding a single vibrant orange flower. A lily.

As if his mind was barely catching up, his gaze quickly flew back to Papyrus who was swaying his hips to the tune he was humming. _Good god_ , he thought to himself. The taller skeleton was wearing a pristine white button-down long-sleeve shirt and very flattering black jeans, his dress shoes from work completing the ensemble. He coughed lightly, letting Papyrus know he was there. Papyrus immediately turned and for a moment just drank in the sight of Sans standing there somewhat awkwardly, a faint blue flush already showing high on his cheekbones. He smiled.

   “YOU WORE THE SHIRT I ENCOURAGED YOU TO BUY.” he said softly.

   “yeah. figured now would be a good time to use it.” Sans replied, raising a hand to scratch at the back of his neck.

Papyrus honestly just felt like damning the dinner and just kissing Sans for the rest of the evening, heck, for the rest of his life, but that wouldn’t do. Instead, he settled for brushing the backs of his fingers against Sans’s cheek, warmth curling around his soul.

   “IT WAS DEFINITELY A GOOD CHOICE.”

He stepped back then, turning back to the dishes he had been preparing.

   “GO SIT, I WILL BRING US THE PLATES.”

   “nah, let me help. sharing the burden and all that.”

The tall skeleton was quiet for a few seconds before nodding and gesturing to the two mugs he’d taken out.

   “IN THAT CASE, WOULD YOU MIND PREPARING THE COFFEE?”

   “…coffee?”

   “ASGORE SUGGESTED TEA, BUT I HAD NO TIME TO GO AND PURCHASE ANY. SO…I FELT THAT COFFEE WOULD BE THE NEXT BEST THING. WAS I WRONG?”

   “not at all,” Sans said, shaking his head to reinforce his claim, “just never had coffee with dinner before.”

Despite Papyrus’s tendency to rise early, Sans had usually been awake first back when his nightmares had been at their worst, so he had taken it upon himself to have coffee prepared for the two of them. It had become something of a ritual over time, so Sans felt happy being able to do it again and go through the familiar motions. He had a feeling his brother would have asked him to prepare the coffee anyway. Papyrus would never finish his cup when he prepared it himself. Carefully, he carried the mugs over and set them down at their respective seats and sat, his brow quirking in pleasant surprise as he saw the generous slice of lasagna on his plate. He mentally chuckled when he remembered how he had wished for lasagna months ago.

   “this looks…really nice, bro.”

   “NYEH HEH, WHY THANK YOU!” Papyrus chirped happily. “I TRIED REALLY HARD THIS TIME!”

   “i can tell. really went all out, huh?”

   “ABSOLUTELY! GO ON, GO ON, TELL ME HOW IT IS!”

Chuckling to himself, Sans picked up his fork and cut off a small corner of his slice and bringing it up to his mouth, sniffing it discreetly. It certainly smelled nice. Resisting the urge to shrug, he shoved the piece in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. He wondered if Papyrus watched the human cooking channels when he was home and Sans wasn’t around. This was miles better than his last lasagna attempt.

   “i love it. keep doing stuff like this and i might have to keep you here forever.”

Papyrus felt his grin grow.

   “OH, IS THAT RIGHT? WELL, I SUPPOSE I WILL JUST HAVE TO GET EVEN BETTER, THEN.”

They both dug into their meals, making small talk and taking small sips of coffee, short bursts of laughter occurring every once in a while. When their plates were nearly empty, Sans pointed towards the flowers with his fork, a questioning look on his face.

   “so when did you get the chance to grab these?”

   “OH! DO YOU LIKE THEM?”

   “well i mean they look nice. but with the food and all this fancy napkinwork you did”—they were just paper towels folded into neat triangles—“where did you find time to get flowers?”

Papyrus scratched at the back of his head, his grin lopsided.

   “I ORDERED THEM LAST WEEK, ACTUALLY. I THOUGHT THE SYMBOLISM WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.”

Symbolism?

   “what do you mean? there’s a meaning with ‘em?”

   “OH YES! YOU SEE, THIS WHITE FLOWER HERE” he pointed at the chrysanthemum, “MEANS ‘TRUTH’ AND ‘LOYAL LOVE’. THIS ONE HERE” he now pointed at the iris, “MEANS ‘FAITH’ AND ‘HOPE’.”

He looked back at Sans to see the bewildered look on his face.

   “IT’S A MIX OF THINGS THAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE NOW, AND THINGS THAT I HOPE WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE.”

In a smooth motion, he reached over and took one of Sans’s hands in his.

   “I WANT YOU TO HAVE FAITH IN ME, FAITH IN US, FAITH IN YOURSELF, JUST LIKE I DO. I WANT YOU TO HOPE FOR BETTER THINGS, JUST LIKE I DO. THERE ARE NO MORE LIES BETWEEN US, NO MORE SECRETS, AND WELL. I SHOULD HOPE THAT WE ARE LOYAL TO EACH OTHER.”

   “…whoa.”

   “WHAT?”

Sans chuckled helplessly, his blush gradually returning.

   “all that from a couple of flowers, huh?”

   “I THOUGHT IT FITTING.” Papyrus replied with a shrug.

   “how’d you find all that out?”

   “I SAW THE BOOK ADVERTISED ON THE TELEVISION, SO I WENT TO THE HUMAN INTERNET AND LOOKED IT UP. IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.”

   “huh. neat.”

After a few more minutes of conversation, Papyrus stood up, gathering the plates and taking them to the kitchen.

   “we gonna want more coffee?”

He heard Papyrus hum softly in thought from the kitchen.

   “NOT FOR ME, I AM QUITE GOOD ON THAT FRONT FOR NOW.”

   “eh, think i’ll pass too, then.”

Sans moved into the kitchen to deposit the mugs near the sink and paused, considering them and the other dirty dishes silently. Grinning to himself and internally laughing at his past doubts that he’d ever help Papyrus, he pushed up the sleeves of his sweater and flipped the water on, placing the mugs in the sink with a small ‘clink’. He felt more than saw Papyrus move to stand next to him and watched as he undid the buttons of his cuffs to push up his own sleeves, exposing inch by inch the gorgeous bones underneath as he meticulously rolled the fabric. Sans gulped.

   “I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE THE DAY WHERE YOU TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO CLEAN UP AFTER DINNER. YOU HAVE SURPRISES UP YOUR SLEEVE YET, BROTHER!”

The shorter skeleton chuckled lowly as he lathered the dish sponge.

   “there’s more where that came from.”

Sans caught the curious tone in Papyrus’s reply, something he was having trouble identifying.

   “OH REALLY…?” Papyrus questioned, his voice dropping several notes in pitch.

Sans had nothing to reply with. It was one of those moments where he wished he had lips of his own to nibble on nervously, but alas. So instead he threw himself into his task, scrubbing furiously at the lasagna pan. He thought he heard laughter, but it was hard to tell over the hiss of the pouring water and the harsh scrape of the coarse side of the sponge against the pan.

   “SANS, YOU’RE GOING TO RUIN MY PAN.”

   “oh, uh, sorry.”

   “NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE. JUST BE A LITTLE MORE…” Sans felt a finger stroke against his side, light as a feather, “GENTLE.”

Sans promptly yelped and pushed his hand far too quickly into the small pool of water gathering in the corner of the pan, causing it to splash up into his face and shirt. Everything was still for a handful of soulbeats before he heard Papyrus choke back laughter. He turned his head to look up at Papyrus, his eyesockets narrowing in a glare.

   “O-OH MY…I’M SO SORRY, SANS, I HADN’T THOUGHT THAT…PFFFFNYEHEHEHEH OH S-STARS, YOUR _EXPRESSION_!”

   “ohhhhh sweetheart, is that how we’re gonna play it? i don’t think you know who you’re messin’ with here.”

A tinge of orange appeared on Papyrus’s face at the pet name, but he tried waving his hands in apology.

   “N-NO, SANS, I HADN’T INTENDED FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, BUT…NYEHEHE…I COULDN’T QUITE HELP MYSE—” his sentence was abruptly cut off when Sans tipped his finger down on the opposite of the pan and launched the small pool of water directly onto Papyrus’s shirt.

With a very calm face, Papyrus looked down at his soaked shirt, then back at Sans who was leaning against the counter, his face propped on his fist. He looked smug.

   “you were saying? sorry, my finger slipped.”

   “YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE.”

   “now why would i do that? you’re my precious bro.”

   “I CANNOT HELP BUT THINK YOU ARE LYING TO ME.”

Sans pressed his free hand to his chest, a mock look of offense stealing over his features.

   “i would never.” But even as he said that he was fighting down a grin.

Papyrus narrowed his eyes just as Sans had just moments before.

   “FOR THAT, YOU CAN FINISH THE DISHES ON YOUR OWN.”

Sans’s grin disappeared instantly.

   “aww, pap, c’mon! i was just messin’ with you.”

   “NO,” he said decisively, “YOU HAVE MADE YOUR BED, SANS. NOW LIE IN IT.”

Abruptly, he turned away and walked out of the kitchen, listening to Sans grumble behind him. As soon as he was out of the room, he leaned against the wall and held his hand against his mouth, stifling his chuckles. Goodness, but he was fun to tease! He really did feel horrible with his soaked shirt though, so he wasted no time in unbuttoning it and going to toss it in the laundry room in the ‘whites’ pile. Now bare from the waist up, he moved back toward the kitchen, leaning against the doorway and watching Sans work. As laid back as Sans seemed to be, he was very methodical in his work and, to Papyrus’s pleasure, gentle with the scrubbing. He looked good focused on a task. Stars above, he loved him.

When Sans had washed off the last dish and put it aside, Papyrus made his way up behind him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. He could tell from the way Sans stiffened in his grasp that he had either not expected Papyrus to be there, or he had not expected him to be shirtless. Or both. He leaned down to where Sans’s ear would be and nuzzled him gently.

   “THANK YOU, SANS, FOR DOING THIS. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO.”

   “uh. no problem. dunno why this is somethin’ i gotta ask but _where is your shirt_?”

   “I REMOVED IT,” he responded with a shrug. “IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT?”

   “n-nah. just uh. you’re pressed awfully close. _without a shirt_.”

Papyrus could faintly feel the cool pulse of Sans’s soul against his chest. It was getting faster. He thought back to their last little venture in the kitchen and felt his own soul start to speed up in kind.

   “SANS. WE HAVE PROGRESSED FAR ENOUGH THAT MY LACK OF A SHIRT SHOULD PROVE TO BE AN EXCITANT, DON’T YOU THINK?”

He felt along Sans’s chest and made a disgruntled expression when he touched upon the damp spots where he’d been splashed with water.

   “DOESN’T HAVING A WET SHIRT ON MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE?”

Sans shivered.

   “…no.” it almost sounded like more of a question. It was silly that Sans was still nervous being in such close proximity to him. He wanted to remedy that. Immediately.

   “SANS,” he said softly, reverently.

With the gentle nudge of his hand, he tilted Sans’s head back and leaned down to kiss him, their tongues tangling together almost instantly. One of Sans’s hands had come up to grasp at the arm across his chest and whimpered softly. The kiss quickly heated up, Sans’s other hand coming up to wrap around the back of Papyrus’s neck and the hand not holding Sans’s chin beginning to wander, stroking against his ribs through his shirt. Slowly, the hand dipped down, soft and curious, eventually coming to rest against the hem of the sweater. It paused, suddenly uncertain, before dipping underneath to stroke against a floating rib as Sans had done to him before. He felt his magic jolt when Sans moaned into his mouth, the small body shaking against him.

   “MAY I?” he questioned, pulling away from the rib and tugging gently at the hem.

After half a second of hesitation, Sans nodded, his arms going up into the air to make removal of the turtleneck easier. Now both bare from the waist up and Sans now facing him, Papyrus stopped, slowly dragging his gaze from the teasing view of Sans’s pelvis to his sturdy ribcage to his tempting neck to his skull, suffused in blue.

   “YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL…” he said quietly.

   “pap…” Sans whined, fidgeting in place.

Papyrus took a deep breath and let it out slowly and closed the space between them, his hands coming up to stroke against Sans’s humeri.

   “SANS,” he began, “WE HAVE BEEN DANCING AROUND THIS FOR A WHILE NOW. NOT LONG ACTIVELY, PERHAPS, BUT STILL LONG ENOUGH THAT I CAN FEEL THAT OUR SOULS ARE CRYING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER. I…” his voice died, his face turning orange as he registered what he was trying to ask.

His voice was much weaker and a little unsure as he voiced his question.

   “WOULD…YOU LIKE TO COME UPSTAIRS WITH ME?”

Sans considered the implications of that question. His baser self was immediately saying ‘yes’, but the part of him that was still insecure, afraid, was holding him back.

   “papyrus…are you sure this is what you want?”

There was no hesitation in his voice when he answered, clashing with meek inquiry.

   “YES.”

Before Sans could continue, Papyrus continued to speak.

   “IT’S MORE THAT I’M AFRAID OF _YOU_ NOT WANTING THIS. YOU’VE RELAXED ONLY A FEW TIMES. SOMETIMES I WONDER IF I’M PUSHING YOU TOO HARD.”

Well he felt like an idiot. Of course Papyrus would be sure. And of course he’d pick up on his fear. He closed his eyes, taking a few breaths. He had nothing to worry about. When he opened his eyes again, it was accompanied by a small lopsided smile.

   “i want this, paps. and i want you.”

Papyrus was equal parts relief and fear. Stars, he had no idea what he was doing. He just had to take it as it came. Taking another deep breath, he held out his hand for Sans to take and quirked a brow when Sans winked before putting their hands together. The air left him in a rush as their surroundings changed to Sans’s room and resisted the urge to yell indignantly when he heard Sans’s chuckle.

   “WARN ME NEXT TIME!”

He saw that Sans had flung his slippers in a random direction. Snorting to himself, he took great care in removing his own shoes, placing them against the wall closest to the door. When he turned back around, he saw Sans trying, rather unsuccessfully, to fight down a mischievous grin.

   “where’s the fun in that?”

   “I’LL SHOW YOU ‘FUN’,” the taller skeleton growled playfully, quickly wrapping his arms around Sans and carrying him to the bed, the small body against his shaking in laughter. His soul felt light hearing Sans laugh like that.

Papyrus stared down at the body beneath him and smiled. This was where he belonged, his mind told him. He nuzzled along the side of Sans’s face and the laughter tapered off, Sans’s eyelights roving across his face.

   “papyrus…” Sans whispered, his arms coming up to wrap around the back of his neck. He pulled, dragging Papyrus down to kiss him, their tongues tangling easily once again.

Papyrus’s hands began to move again, no longer barred from their prize by (an admittedly lovely) violet turtleneck. His fingers scraped delicately along the clavicles, the sternum, across the ribs, reveling in the shivers he was eliciting from Sans. No longer willing to sit idly by, Sans began to move his hands too, tracing along Papyrus’s scapulae and spine, causing the taller skeleton to gasp sharply, his back arching at the contact. It was just a graze, but their clothed pelvises touching sent a shock through both of them, dragging out two moans.

As much as he wanted to snap already, Papyrus refused to let his instincts win. Their first time together would not be animalistic rutting if he had his way.

Sans felt mild disappointment when Papyrus pulled away from him, but then felt as he began nosing his way down the side of his face and knew where it was headed, his breath quickening in anticipation. He wanted to scream when Papyrus simply lay there, tucked against the crook of his neck, his magic-warmed breath brushing against the bone and sending shivers down his spine.

   “pap,” he pleaded softly.

He felt hands wrap around his hips and he felt his magic begin to twitch agitatedly inside him when he felt Papyrus’s groin brush against his again. And again. And again. Stars were threatening to burst behind his shut eyesockets as pleasurable sensation after sensation rocked through his body. A loud moan escaped him as Papyrus finally bit down on his neck gently. Coupled with the grinding, Sans’s magic finally couldn’t take anymore and manifested physically. He could feel it twitching in the confines of his pants, begging for touch of any kind. Not even a moment later, he felt warmth against the coolness of his erection and his breath hitched at the sudden change of temperature.

   “oh god, yes. please.”

The teasing hands that had been gliding across his ribs dipped down, unbuttoning his pants and pulling the zipper down. His hands reached to do the same to Papyrus, but he was promptly stopped by the taller skeleton.

   “NO,” Papyrus breathed against his neck, his voice shaking slightly, “LAY BACK FOR A MOMENT.”

And so Sans kept still as Papyrus pulled away from him to look down at the erection that he’d just freed and felt heat fill his face. It was…Papyrus didn’t even know how to describe it, other than it was Sans’s and he wanted it. With a slightly trembling hand, he reached down and took Sans in his hand, feeling a fresh wave of arousal curl in his gut when he heard the choked back scream. This part he knew how to do, at least. Slowly, he began to pump, his gaze occasionally jumping back to see the various expressions Sans would make and reveling in them, but mostly focusing on what he was doing. Sans was writhing beneath him, gasping out pleas along with his name inbetween his moans.

   “papyrus…papyrus, please…”

   “WHAT IS IT, SANS?” he asked, his voice hoarse. “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?”

   “please…” Sans begged again, his hips twitching upward. “i need you.”

Biting back a whimper of his own, Papyrus looked down and saw that Sans’s magic had created a hole designed for him. Running his tongue across his teeth, he moved his free hand down to the area, moaning lowly when he slipped a finger inside, feeling the walls attempt to constrict around the digit. It was cool, and dripping wet. ‘ _Stars above_ ,’ he thought to himself. Sans was borderline weeping now, cyan tears pricking at the corners of his eyesockets.

   “paps..!”

His own dick was aching at this point, so he gave in, slipping the finger out and going to undo his jeans.

   “SANS, PLEASE FINISH REMOVING YOUR PANTS.”

He would have been amused seeing Sans kick off the pants as if they’d offended him in some way, but he was beyond feeling amusement at this point, instead shucking off his own pants and crawling back up over Sans, lining up their hips. Sans’s legs came up to wrap around him and he shuddered at the feel of bone against bone. Papyrus linked one of their hands together and brought the other up to stroke Sans’s cheekbone.

   “I LOVE YOU.”

Sans squeezed his hand.

   “i love you, too.”

With that, he slowly began to push inside. His magic, his body, and his soul sang, his mind being filled once again with a sense of belonging. Sans was holding his breath, his eyesockets closed, his expression contorted in pleasure. When Papyrus had paused halfway, his eyes opened and he stared at Papyrus with so much love and lust that without calling, Papyrus’s soul eased forward out of his chest, hovering between them and emitting a soft orange glow. Sans was enraptured by the sight, never having seen Papyrus’s soul before. It was beautiful. As If answering a summons, his own soul gently pushed itself out into the open, floating not but a scant couple inches from its orange counterpart. Oddly enough, their positions were switched, Sans’s soul closer to Papyrus and vice versa. Papyrus was equally taken with the sight of the blue soul in front of him, his breath hitching. He focused on Sans after another second of looking. His free hand was twitching towards the peacefully hovering souls, hesitant.

   “SANS, SHOULD WE…?”

   “i’m…wingin’ it.” even as he said it, Sans’s own free hand was reaching towards the souls too, toward Papyrus’s.

   “SO AM I.” Papyrus’s fingers hovered near the blue soul, almost cupping it. Sans’s hand was curled similarly around the orange soul. They looked to each other for confirmation, then let their fingers touch the souls. The reaction was instantaneous. Both skeletons cried out, Papyrus’s hips snapping forward and burying himself completely inside Sans. Struggling to maintain some sense of control against the pleasure assaulting him, Papyrus froze, his entire form shaking. Sans twitched against him, his breathing harsh.

   “paps, please, please _move_.”

He wanted to lean down, to kiss Sans, but that would require moving his arm, moving Sans’s soul, and everything in him screamed at him not to. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t let go. And so he settled for drawing back and pushing forward again, not so forceful this time.

Sans was being overloaded with sensation. The feeling of Papyrus pushing into him, his dick fitting so perfectly, rubbing against him in all the right ways, and the feeling of Papyrus holding his soul, his fingers clasping it so gently. It felt like he was being touched everywhere at once and he could feel the pulse of Papyrus’s magic as if it were his own. Foggily, he registered Papyrus stroking his thumb against the back of his hand, a soft and loving gesture that contrasted with the increasing force of his thrusts, the increasing magical pressure against his soul.

   “oh god, p-pap, nnngh, i…i’m getting so close…!”

   “S-SANS…I…N-NYEH…”

Papyrus could feel his instincts taking over as he felt his orgasm begin to coil inside him. His magic gathered in his hand that carried Sans’s soul and he began leeching a small portion inside and felt Sans doing the same. His thrusts became harsher, the slick noises of their joining and the clack of bone getting overpowered by moans as they continued feeding magic into each other’s souls. Upon reaching some sort of ceiling, the feed of magic cut off with a small burst, flooding them both with overwhelming pleasure. Unable to resist, both of them screamed at the sensation, their orgasms approaching suddenly.

   “SANS!!”

   “papyrus!”

Finally, their grips on their respective souls loosened, the stream of magic ebbing away. Papyrus had his eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath, but they snapped open when he heard Sans gasp.

   “paps…look.”

Before him was his soul, but it had been changed. A thin ring of blue encircled the heart-shaped object and as he drew it back to himself, he realized that he could vaguely feel Sans’s emotions, his post-coital bliss compounding with his own and making him shiver. He imagined if that channel were blown open, he’d probably be a drooling lump on the bed. As he looked over to Sans’s soul, he saw that something similar had occurred with him, an orange ring enveloping it.

   “IT’S…BEAUTIFUL.”

   “yeah…”

The souls moved back to their respective owners without issue and sank inside their chests, hidden now by the magic that composed their innards. Now free to move as he pleased, Papyrus sank down beside Sans and pulled him in for a kiss, wrapping his arms around the smaller skeleton’s shoulders. Sans sighed contentedly, his body shifting to curl into Papyrus’s.

   “THAT…WASN’T EXACTLY HOW I INTENDED FOR OUR FIRST TIME TO GO. I WAS HOPING FOR SOMETHING FAR MORE GENTLE AND RELAXING.”

Sans chuckled softly, his eyesockets falling shut.

   “it was perfect.”

Papyrus sighed in defeated agreement.

   “YES, I SUPPOSE YOU ARE RIGHT. IN ANY CASE,” he surmised, “WE WILL LIKELY HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GENTLE AND RELAXING.”

Sans nearly choked on air.

   “y-yeah.”

   “PERHAPS NEXT TIME YOU CAN BE THE LEAD. IT WOULDN’T BE FAIR FOR ME TO THROW MYSELF ON YOU ALL THE TIME.”

   “ah. y-yeah, sure.”

A beat of silence.

   “UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO?”

   “pap, c’mon.” he sighed.

   “WHAT?”

Sans laughed helplessly. His brother would be the death of him.

   “just relax a bit. we can talk more about the various ways you wanna do the dirty later.”

   “SANS!”

   “heheh.”

Relenting with a gentle smile, Papyrus curled around him, his arms making a protective cage. Sans had never felt so safe and loved and content in his life. His soul thrummed with energy, feeling more whole than it had ever been. So that was ‘marking’. Beautiful, he thought. He’d talk to Papyrus about it later. He was sure his brother would be curious about it. As he began to drift off to sleep, his wandering thoughts told him that he’d never asked about the lone flower in the kitchen. That was a simple question, he thought, one that could get a quick answer.

   “…hey paps?” he muttered.

   “HM?”

   “what does that flower in the kitchen represent?”

It was silent for a moment and he felt Papyrus tighten his grip around him. Something fluttered between their connection. Sans heard Papyrus answer before he drifted off completely.

   “PASSION.” he responded in a gentle voice.


	13. Bonds and Binds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sans and Toriel talk some, or  
> In which Papyrus has a Moment, or  
> In which Sans finally gets to take initiative
> 
> Page break of asterisks denote smut. There is a lot of it. You are warned (aka it has been painted with neon signs saying HERE THAR BE DICKS.)

He felt like a new monster. It was almost like Papyrus’s wellspring of enthusiasm and love flowed through him (which it likely did, with their new connection). The connection wasn’t quite enough to make him as bright and peppy like his brother, but it was enough that he no longer minded waking up in the morning and served as a constant reminder in the back of his head how exactly Papyrus felt about him. There were some…other…applications as well. Papyrus was able to feel when he’d wake up with the tail end of lustful dreams affecting him and suddenly the tall skeleton would be in his room with a fond smile on his face and just a hint of mischief. It had led to more than one case of morning sex, which led to both of them leaving for work with smiles on their faces.

That being said…Sans hadn’t really had the chance to make a move of his own on Papyrus; his brother was very quick on the draw and was borderline insatiable. He could feel it through their connection, how much Papyrus desired their closeness. In fact, his lust and his affection often bled into one another, making the difference a little difficult to pinpoint. It was a good feeling. That didn’t mean Sans wasn’t going to point it out, though, in the way only he could.

They’d been walking through a grocery store in mid-October and as he bent down to reach for a bottle of ketchup, he felt both exasperation and arousal filter through their connection. With a slight widening of his smile, he made his ascent slow and turned his head to the side to see how Papyrus was focused on him, eyesockets wider than normal, with a slight blush on his cheekbones. Laughing under his breath, he placed the bottle in their basket and resumed his place to Papyrus’s right. After a few moments, he began humming softly, humor filling him.

   “THAT SOUNDS CATCHY. WHAT IS IT?”

Sans snickered.

   “it’s nothin’, just a lil’ song that i like.”

   “I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.”

   “nah,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders, “it’s just a funny song that reminds me of you. or of us, i guess i should say.”

   “WELL NOW I MUST KNOW!”

   “gimme your phone.”

Papyrus stared down at him with a raised brow ridge.

   “IS THERE A PARTICULAR REASON FOR THIS?”

   “yep. just hand it over.”

After a few seconds of Sans’s fingertips clicking across the keys, he handed the phone back to Papyrus, his grin a little too smug for the other skeleton’s comfort. When he looked at the screen, it was pulled up to Youtube with a video waiting to be played. With a delighted grin, he pressed play and listened to the song on low volume out of respect for the other customers. As the seconds passed, his grin faded and was replaced with confusion.

   “SANS, WHAT IS THIS?”

   “keep listenin’.”

   _“You and me, baby, ain’t nothin’ but mammals so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery channel-”_

It didn’t take long for Papyrus to figure out what that meant and promptly closed the app with a furious smashing of his finger, his cheekbones a brilliant orange.

   “SANS!”

The shorter monster hid his laughter beneath his mittened hands (just because they were skeletons didn’t mean they didn’t get cold after a certain point) and swallowed it down enough to talk.

   “Lighten up, _pumpkin_. I just thought it was funny is all.”

   “DID YOU JUST COMPARE ME TO A GOURD?”

   “i’m not implyin’ you’re fat if that’s what you’re goin’ for. you do happen to be sweet like pumpkin, though…”

His blush deepening, Papyrus pushed past, muttering “FLATTERER…” under his breath, a chuckling Sans in tow.

Maybe now he could? He could tell that Papyrus was trying to tamp down on his burgeoning arousal and was putting all of his focus into his shopping list. Not wanting to make himself too conspicious, Sans kept his distance, his grin devilish and anticipatory. He knew Papyrus could feel what he was feeling, so he tried keeping himself in a state of humor, reciting to himself all the lame jokes he knew, especially the best ones he’d come up with when talking to Toriel. With a jolt, he realized he hadn’t messaged her in a while and whipped out his phone, his fingers flitting across the keys with a tiny sense of guilt.

_*why do mummies make excellent spies?_

After a few moments, his phone buzzed in his palm (a relaxing sensation, he had to admit. The vibration traveled up his bones, leaving his limb tingling).

_*Hmm. I do not know. Why?_

_*they’re good at keeping things under wraps._

   _*Ha ha ha! That is a very good one. I suppose you are keeping in the_ spirit _of things for the approaching holiday? ]:)_

He knew he could count on her for a pun or two.

_*no bones about it. i don’t think paps is payin too much attention to it yet. he’ll probably notice a day before and go nuts trying to plan a party._

It was easy to imagine her giggling with a paw to her mouth, her eyes nearly shut at the force of her mirth.

   _*Oh! Well please tell Papyrus not to worry. We are going to have a small Halloween party of our own and you are both invited, of course._

Parties. Not always his cup o’ joe, but he’d always make an exception for his friends. And of course, Papyrus. There’s no way Papyrus would ever say no to a party.

   _*we’ll be there. there anything we need to do?_

_*Hmmm. Try to dress up as something! Was it also prudent to not buy any skeleton decorations? I was not quite sure if you and Papyrus would be offended by them._

Sans glanced behind him toward the far end of the store where the holiday decorations were and his eye caught on a model of a skeleton that was embarrassingly nude. His eyelights automatically trailed down to the pelvis and his mind was filled with images of Papyrus hovering above him, his hips rocking back and forth hypnotically, filling him oh-so-perfectly as he gasped and moaned----

He slammed down on the trail of thought immediately, his cheeks flushing a dark blue and his magic twitching inside him like a great beast waking up from a nap. Fingers shaking a little, he typed out another message.

   _*yeah. good call._

Papyrus had turned his head to the side to look at Sans, his blush returned and darker than before. His gaze briefly dipped down to Sans’s crotch—possibly to see if he was showing evidence of arousal? (he had better control than that, damn it) — before flying back up and locking onto Sans’s own stare. Shit. He hadn’t controlled himself well enough to hide that swell of emotion. Sans grinned sheepishly and scratched at his cervical vertebrae with his left hand, shrugging.

 _‘man, he’s adorable when he blushes…’_ he thought to himself as Papyrus turned back around, his footsteps a little faster than before. He felt another vibration from his phone.

   _*It seems I never congratulated you on your newfound relationship with Papyrus._

_*no prob, tori._

_*I wish I had heard it from you, instead. It felt rather undignified to have Undyne come screaming into our home about “the brothers boning” and Alphys trying to calm her down._

He felt his imaginary guts drop to his feet.

   _* undyne told you? wow that is probably the worst news source available. i’m so sorry._

_*Yes. Apparently Asgore had already known previously from Alphys during one of their weekly tea sessions, and Frisk had overheard. If Alphys knew first, that means Mettaton was likely second, closely followed by Asgore and everyone else. And I am the last. I had hoped we were better friends than this, Sans._

_*i really am sorry for what it’s worth. alphys got it out of me on accident ‘cause i was venting and apologizing. it wasn’t even really official at that point. then she went and told everyone. i hadn’t wanted it to get out at all._

_*Are you ashamed of your relationship?_

That stopped him in his tracks for a brief moment, his sockets going wide.

   _*what? no, never._

_*Then why would you want to hide it, especially from your friends?_

He sighed to himself. This really wasn’t the direction he’d wanted their conversation to take.

   _*like i said, it wasn’t official at that point. i wanted to be sure that papyrus wanted this, wanted us. there’s a lotta people that would hurt paps just for being paps. knowing he was involved with his own brother would just make it worse. i love him too much to put him in that kind of danger. but he wasn’t really havin’ any of that._

_*I could never see Papyrus as the type to sacrifice love or happiness for propriety. I am glad he convinced you otherwise. Still, I am glad you think of his safety. You are a good … um. Partner? Is that the right word?_

_*soulmate._

_*You have bonded?? ]:O_

_*yeah._

_*Oh my! Sans, I am very happy for you. Soulmates, as you call them, are fairly uncommon. It takes a very special closeness for monsters to bond. It is quite easy for monsters to love, but it is another thing entirely to share your self on such a deep level!_

Something warm fluttered in his chest, making his smile grow slightly and his eyes to soften.

   _*i didn’t know it wasn’t common. that’s…kinda neat._

_*Yes! Although, I really could have gone without the “brothers boning” imagery._

_*tori no. just. pretend you never heard that._

_*Hmm. Yes, I suppose I could. But it does make me curious…_

He felt his flush return along with something like indignation.

_*wow, nope. that is not a thing that is happening._

_*Relax, Sans! I am teasing you! ]:) I would never ask about something so personal._

_*okay good. ‘cause that is definitely not something i wanna talk to my friends about._

_*I would hope not! Oh, Frisk is back from Asgore’s. I had better get them their lunch. I will see you at the party?_

_*paps and i wouldn’t miss it for the world._

_*Good! I will send you the time and date when plans have been finalized._

With that, Sans shoved the phone into his shorts pocket just in time to notice that he was standing at the checkout line and Papyrus was paying the cashier with a bright smile on his face. The young human girl looked mildly uneasy, but said nothing as she handed him his change. As Papyrus opened his mouth to say ‘thank you’, the girl opened her mouth, blurting out a question.

   “H-how do you look so full?”

Papyrus paused, his mouth hanging a little slack.

   “I’M SORRY?”

The girl flushed, her hands coming together and doing a wringing motion.

   “You look filled out. Like your midsection. It looks like you’ve got a body under there.”

Papyrus looked down at his navy blue ribbed sweater and blinked a couple of times. His gaze returned to the girl who was by now gathering a light sheen of nervous sweat on her forehead.

   “MAGIC.” He answered plainly, as if it was the most obvious thing. With that he turned to leave.

   “W-wait!”

Her hand shot out and grabbed at his humerus. It felt like time froze. Papyrus had gone very still, his right eye lighting up a furious orange and Sans had moved forward, his eyesockets wide with surprise and anger. Everyone around them had gone quiet.

   “YOU WILL UNHAND ME.”

Suddenly devoid of color, the girl presented her other hand, a receipt pinched between her bloodless fingers. She let go immediately.

   “Y-y-your receipt…”

Slowly, Papyrus turned around and took the receipt from her fingers, his single orange eye burning into her.

   “…”

   “paps…”

His gaze met Sans’s briefly then flickered back to the human girl who was by now shaking in place.

   “THANK YOU.”

Leveling a glare at the girl, Sans looped all the grocery bags through his arms and placed a hand on Papyrus’s forearm. With a soft ‘ _voip_ ’, the two of them disappeared, leaving the girl to collapse against her register, her brown eyes filling with tears.

* * *

As soon as they had entered the house with a sigh of displaced air, Papyrus broke away and locked himself in the bathroom.

   “paps?”

Papyrus didn’t respond.

Exerting his magic over the bags of groceries, he moved them to the kitchen and then ported upstairs to the door to the bathroom. He knocked softly, his brow ridges drawn together in worry.

   “papyrus?”

   “I AM FINE, SANS.”

His voice was muffled. His emotions were all over the place: anger, fear, guilt, sadness. Sans frowned, his mind made up.

   “bullshit.”

With that, he ported directly inside the bathroom, immediately walking over to where Papyrus was curled against the wall near the shower. He knelt without a word, watching as Papyrus picked his head up to look at him miserably.

   “LANGUAGE.” He muttered lamely.

   “paps.”

The tall skeleton sighed to himself, his arms tightening around his knees.

   “I SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO HER.”

   “what? why?”

   “MY REACTION WAS OVERBOARD. I SHOULD NOT HAVE…BUT I JUST COULDN’T HELP MYSELF. IT IS NOT HER FAULT THAT I…OH STARS.” he shuddered. “I’M A RIGHT MESS, AREN’T I?” he finished with a croak.

Sans leaned forward, his arms wrapping around Papyrus’s shoulders. His eyelights focused on the red scarf coiled around Papyrus’s neck, finding comfort in the familiar matieral.

   “no you aren’t. your reaction was natural. i would know, trust me. besides, i think there’s a rule for employees that they aren’t supposed to grab customers. she was outta line.”

Despite his comforting words, Papyrus still felt guilt gnawing at him from somewhere near his chest. Guilt and fear. Anger at himself. Anger at the humans that made him this way.

   “I DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE THIS, SANS. I DON’T _WANT_ TO BE AFRAID OF HUMANS AND THEIR TOUCH. I JUST WANT…” he trailed off for a moment, his eyesockets nearly shutting.

   “I JUST WANT THINGS TO BE OKAY.” he whispered.

   “they will, paps. just give it time.”

Papyrus felt Sans shift and felt a bare hand (when had he taken his mittens off?) nudging his face up. He obliged, his eyesockets focusing on the soft glow of Sans’s eyelights.

   “you’ll be okay, i promise. and i don’t make promises lightly.”

Slowly, Papyrus nodded, making Sans smile a little.

   “I BELIEVE YOU.”

   “good.”

He planted a gentle skeleton kiss against the crown of Papyrus’s skull, one against each temple, one against his nasal cavity (which caused Papyrus to chuckle weakly), one against each cheekbone, and finally one against his teeth. He heard a soft sigh beneath him and felt the tenseness leave his brother’s body. Despite that, he could still feel residual feelings of guilt and sadness coming from the tall skeleton. He didn’t like that. He needed to focus on something better, something lighter, something to make him more…Papyrus-y.

***********************************  
  
A tiny little lightbulb went off in his head. It wasn’t exactly the best time, but he was pretty sure that’d knock out any thoughts of guilt or negative emotion. He would need to play up the role, throw Papyrus off guard. He’d had enough dreams to know how to act. With his face still so close, he opened his mouth and let his tongue slide gently across Papyrus’s teeth, his eyes falling halfway shut. The body beneath him flinched.

   “S-SANS..”

   “i have the way you were looking at me while i was picking up ketchup burned into my head. i take it you were enjoying the view?” he purred.

His left hand ran teasingly along Papyrus’s spine, causing him to shiver.

   “I…Y-YES.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Papyrus’s legs drop down, opening slightly. Taking that as an invitation, he re-situated himself in the now-open space, resting on his knees so that he hovered slightly over the prone skeleton.

   “am i also to assume that that’s a position you’d wanna see more of?”

Papyrus was blushing hard, not used to being in this position.

   “…Y-YES?”

   “you answer that like you’re not sure. is it a position you want to see more of?”

Sans was crouched over him like a predator, his hands on the wall directly above his shoulders, his jacket flared open and his shirt lifted just enough to show a hint of hip bone. His left eye was half a step from turning blue, Papyrus could feel it. Sans was beautiful like this. He was beautiful regardless, but this was something new and special.

   “YES.” he breathed.

Sans’s smile curled into something more smug.

   “i’ll make note of it.”

As he leaned further down and pulled away the scarf, he saw Papyrus instinctively tilt his head away to expose his neck. Like an IV of potent drugs, he felt lust begin to filter through their connection and smiled, his own lust mixing in and causing him to take a deep breath to keep from moaning. He licked a path down the column of Papyrus’s throat and, after a moment of thought, opened his mouth a little wider and bit down lightly. Papyrus’s whole body jerked and his hands flew up to grasp at Sans’s shoulders, a low drawn-out moan clawing its way out of his throat.

   “god you make the most beautiful sounds. and you’re really damn adorable when you blush.”

Sans was never this talkative during the other times, usually devolving into a gasping, moaning mess. Then again, Papyrus conceded, Sans had never had the opportunity to be this forward, either. His train of thought came to a crashing halt when he felt Sans’s hand start to travel along his chest, sliding lower and lower.

   “did i ever tell you that all your outfits drive me fuckin’ insane?”

He gasped as he felt one of Sans’s fingers purposefully brush against a rib through the fabric of his sweater.

   “N-NO.”

Sans chuckled lowly.

   “well they do. the moment you bought them i knew i was in trouble. they showed off your perfect body even better than your battle body. it was like the ultimate tease. you wore more, but it made me think of what was beneath. like the most beautiful gift to unwrap.”

He glanced up and did a double take as he noticed something. His gaze turned thoughtful.

   “paps, do you trust me?”

   “OF COURSE I DO.”

   “good. ‘cause i wanna try something.”

Gently, almost reverently, he removed the scarf from around Papyrus’s neck and looped it around the towel rack above Papyrus’s head, tying it in a quick knot.

   “give me your hands.”

   “MY HANDS…?”

Not completely understanding, he presented his hands anyway. Shifting so that he was halfway to standing, Sans lifted Papyrus’s arms and wrapped the scarf around his wrists, tying another knot. Papyrus looked up, moving his wrists around slightly.

   “is it comfortable enough?”

He eyed Sans’s crotch just off to his left and squashed down the throes of mischief. But they were stubborn throes. He leaned forward as much as he could and nuzzled the front of Sans’s shorts, his gaze tilting upward at the sound of Sans’s sharp gasp.

   “IT IS JUST FINE, SANS.”

Papyrus could see the way Sans hesitated before beginning to move away. He hadn’t had a chance to try it before. His mind ran through the possibilities of what it’d be like. All signs pointed to pleasurable.

   “SANS.”

   “yeah?”

   “I WANT TO TRY SOMETHING, TOO. IF YOU DON’T MIND.”

Browridges pulling together, Sans waited for Papyrus to elaborate.

   “I WANT YOU TO STAND IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN.”

Sans’s eyesockets widened almost comically.

   “are you sayin you wanna…?”

   “YES.”

He hesitated again.

   “but paps, this is about you.”

   “AND I WILL ENJOY IT. I ENJOY MAKING YOU FEEL GOOD, SANS.”

   “i…okay.”

With deliberate slowness, he moved closer to Papyrus’s face, taking a moment to gather his bearing again. Papyrus was being patient, his gaze going from Sans’s shorts to his face and back again, his cheekbones darkening. He may have looked composed, but he could feel the lust and nervousness coming from Papyrus. It gave him a surge of confidence. Since his bro was nice and tied up, maybe he could give him a little show first…? With a darkening of his own cheekbones and a crooked smirk tugging at his mouth, Sans reached one hand down his shorts and began rubbing at his pubic arch in slow, heavy circles.

   “SANS, WHAT ARE YOU…?”

Unable to hold it in anymore, Sans moaned softly and let his magic take shape, his hand immediately going to wrap around his dick. His free hand traveled up under his shirt, rubbing at his ribs and teasing around the xyphoid process. His eyelights, one now lit up a bright blue, never left Papyrus’s own wide sockets. The tall skeleton’s mouth was hanging open slightly, his right socket flaring a soft orange. Stars, his expression was perfect.

Licking at his teeth, he pulled his erection out of his shorts, never stopping his stroking. Almost immediately, Papyrus’s eyes were glued to the glowing appendage, his blush darkening. Sans squeezed the base and moaned again, his eyes shutting for a split moment.

   “ya like what ya see?” he asked in a breathy voice.

Papyrus whined softly, tugging a little at his binds. Sans could already see the faint orange glow straining against Papyrus’s dark pants.

   “PLEASE…”

Sans chuckled.

   “how could i ever say no to that voice?”

With that, he took a step forward, putting himself within several inches of Papyrus’s mouth. Papyrus’s eyesockets had fallen halfway shut, his breaths heavy. He leaned forward, his tongue extending from his mouth to lick a stripe up the underside.

   “holy… _fuck_.”

Papyrus could feel magic buzzing on his tongue. For a very brief moment, he wondered if something could taste electric, but pushed it aside as he coiled his tongue around the shaft and leaned forward to take the dick into his mouth. A spike of pleasure flew threw their connection and they both moaned, the vibration of Papyrus’s mouth causing Sans’s moan to trail off into a growl.

   “papyrus…stars, your mouth feels amazing.”

Papyrus hummed in response, his head bobbing slightly. His tongue was honestly doing most of the work, stroking and squeezing and occasionally unwrapping itself to flick against the slit at the tip. Still he made an effort to move his head, his teeth lightly grazing the firm ecto-flesh.

   “paps, paps, shit..”

Sans gently pressed against the side of Papyrus’s skull and pulled away, his breaths coming fast and heavy. He knelt down and kissed Papyrus hard, his tongue tangling with its glorious orange counterpart. He could taste himself on Papyrus’s tongue. Fuck, that was hot. As they kissed, he reached down and undid the button to Papyrus’s pants, pulling down the zipper immediately afterward. His fingers danced along the edges of Papyrus’s waistline and he pulled away for a moment.

   “may i…?”

Papyrus was nodding before Sans even finished asking, and Sans began tugging the pants off, his jaw clenching as he saw Papyrus’s dick spring free. Resisting the urge to stop and touch it, he kept going, his eyelights drinking in every exposed inch of bone. There was a brief snag as the pants caught on Papyrus’s boots, but they were gently removed and the pants followed. For a moment, he knelt there, watching as Papyrus drew his knees up slightly and his toes curled. It was probably the first time he’d seen Papyrus so shy during sex. It was cute.

   “you’re beautiful, paps.”

Papyrus dipped his skull to the side, a shy smile tugging at his mouth.

   “THANK YOU.”

Sans crawled forward, one of his hands reaching up to cup Papyrus’s cheek. Quietly, he brought their faces together with a faint ‘clack’ and closed his eyes.

   “i love you.”

   “I LOVE Y—”

   “i mean it. you mean the world to me. my sky. my moon. my stars. my whole universe.”

   “SANS,” Papyrus murmured, leaning to the right to nuzzle the side of Sans’s face. “I LOVE YOU, TOO.”

A few more moments were spent in silence with Sans’s hands slowly wandering around Papyrus’s chest. He felt another surge of lust through their connection as Papyrus shifted his body slightly.

   “PLEASE TOUCH ME.” Papyrus said softly.

   “even said the magic word and everything.”           

He leaned back, drawing his legs up under him and shifting forward a little more so that their hips were only a small distance apart and Papyrus’s femurs were practically resting on his. His hand moved down and a single finger teased along the length of Papyrus’s dick, drawing out a whine from the bound skeleton. Choosing not to be cruel, he wrapped his fingers around the shaft and began to pump in long firm strokes.

   “HMM..NNAAH…S-SANS..”

His free hand moved lower, searching. With a satisfied smile, his middle finger pushed into the entrance Papyrus conjured, feeling warm walls push against the digit and nearly biting his tongue as he listened to Papyrus’s loud moan.

No wonder Sans was always a moaning mess when he was leading, Papyrus mused to himself through the fog in his head. This felt incredible. He focused on the sensation, crying out when Sans added a second finger, the digits curling inside him to scrape along the walls softly. His hips twitched of their own volition, no longer able to stand the stimulation from both the fingers inside him and the hand around his cock.

   “SANS, PLEASE, I NEED YOU! STARS ABOVE, I NEED YOU.”

With a wet little squelch, Sans pulled his fingers out, lifting them up for Papyrus to see. With a devious little smile, Sans brought the fingers to his mouth, sucking on them and wiping them clean with his tongue. Papyrus felt himself shiver at the sight and whimpered as pre dribbled from the tip of his dick.

   “as my ‘mate commands.”

Sans grabbed Papyrus’s left leg and draped over his shoulder and the other leg moved on its own, going wide and curling behind Sans loosely. He shifted his hips even closer, his left hand dropping straight down to plant itself against the ground behind his lower half. With a quick glance at Papyrus’s steadily glowing eye, he positioned himself with his right hand and started easing himself in, hissing at how pleasantly warm and tight it was. When he was fully seated, his right hand found its place on Papyrus’s iliac crest and he gyrated his hips experimentally, exhaling harshly at the flood of pleasure that poured through the connection.

   “f-fuck, paps. try to rein it in a little. i’m not gonna last long if you keep doing that.”

   “I’LL…I’LL TRY.”

Breathing in lightly, he began to make short thrusts, clenching his jaw at the feel of their bones scraping together and the heat of Papyrus surrounding him. His eyelights took in Papyrus’s expression, his eyesockets shut in pleasure, his mouth slightly open, his cheeks flushed that beautiful shade of orange. His thumb glided across the iliac crest and hissed when Papyrus clenched around him. Evidently, Papyrus hadn’t known he could do that and cried out at the sensation, his arms once again writhing in their binds.

   “SANS! OH, THAT FEELS SO GOOD! MORE!”

Growling lowly, Sans leaned back, his jacket falling from his shoulders and bunching around his elbows, and wrapped the hand that had been on Papyrus’s hip around his dick and began to pump, his thrusts becoming harsher.

   “feels good, huh? now you know why you drive me so wild when you do this to me. it feels _exactly_ like this.”

   “OH GODS, SANS! MMNAHHH, I-I’M GETTING..SO…”

   “i can feel it, sweetheart. ya ain’t filtering that well. f-fuckin _hell_ , paps. i’m not gonna last much longer either.”

He wasn’t lying. Between his pleasure and Papyrus’s and the beautiful sight of Papyrus moaning and writhing and pulling against his scarf, his orgasm was building much faster than he’d anticipated. It took only a few more pumps for Papyrus to clench around him even tighter than before and cry out, warm orange cum spurting from his dick and splattering against his sweater.

   “papyrus!”

He followed quickly after, his body going rigid as he came inside. Once his dick dissipated, he took Papyrus’s leg off his shoulder and leaned up to undo the scarf. Now freed from their binds, Papyrus’s arms came down and wrapped around Sans’s shoulders, pulling him in for a tight hug.

********************************************

   “THAT WAS…AMAZING…” he said between deep breaths.

   “yeah…it was.”

It was silent for a moment.

   “YOU NEVER TOLD ME IT FELT THAT GOOD.”

   “my incomprehensible babble wasn’t enough of a hint?”

   “YOU SPEAK INCOMPREHNSIBLE BABBLE ALL THE TIME.”

   “i resent that remark. besides, it’s a different incomprehensible babble when i’m out and about versus when you’re plowing me into a mattress.”

   “SANS!” he cried indignantly, his cheeks burning bright orange.

   “hehehe.”

   “THE POINT IS YOU’VE BEEN HOLDING OUT ON ME.”

   “why would i do that?”

   “TO KEEP THE BEST PART TO YOURSELF, OF COURSE!”

   “excuse me, mr. i’m-gonna-bang-you-against-the-front-door-because-i-can’t-wait, you never gave me a chance to show you otherwise.”

Papyrus was quiet for a moment.

   “TOUCHE.”

Sans snickered to himself.

   “come on, i’m going to assume you’re gonna want a shower now.”

Papyrus looked down at his sweater and wrinkled the area around his nasal cavity.

   “UGH, YES. AND A WASHING OF OUR CLOTHES AS WELL.”

   “we can save water by showering together and washing our clothes in the tub…”

The tall skeleton scoffed.

   “AND GIVE YOU AN EXCUSE TO BE LAZY? NO CHANCE.”

   “and here i thought you’d be more worried about me taking advantage of your naked body.”

   “SOME OF US HAVE RESTRAINT.”

Sans raised a brow ridge in an expression that was clearly dubious.

   “you? restraint? what restraint?”

   “…touche again.”

   “man i’m on a roll today. i deserve a gold star or something for that.”

He stood and held out a hand for Papyrus to take and bit back a smug smile when Papyrus stood with the awkward shaky position of someone that had been well-fucked. His eyelights zeroed in on a trail of blue that was slowly making its way down the inside of Papyrus’s right femur and licked his teeth, appreciation and pride curling around his soul.

   “i really think you should be worried about me taking advantage of you in the shower.”

   “I CAN HANDLE YOU.”

Sans chuckled again, his grin anticipatory as he watched Papyrus peel off his sweater. He began to pull his jacket the rest of the way off.

   “we’ll see about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My externship is done, I'm graduated, I'm a certified medical coder. Can't get much better than that. AND I'M BACK, MOFOS. I'm sorry I was gone so long. 
> 
> ENJOY THE SMUT WHILE YOU CAN.
> 
> I am a bad man.


	14. What The Future Holds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the future is discussed, or  
> In which the future looms ahead.

Papyrus wasn’t letting him in the room.

   “paps, come on, i wanna see.”

   “NOT YET!” came the response.

   “please? i promise not to touch.” he said with a wolfish smile.

   “WE BOTH KNOW THAT ISN’T TRUE. NO.”

Sans planted himself against the wall outside the door, letting out a small huff.

   “when, then?”

   “IN JUST A MOMENT! HOLD YOUR BRITCHES!”

He chuckled softly.

   “i don’t got any britches to hold, bro. is that an invitation to come in?”

There was a muffled shriek behind the door.

   “NO!!”

With a little sigh, Sans took to idly tracing the joints of his fingers, his head tilted to one side and his expression bored. Papyrus had gone and bought his costume for the party without telling him, and he had honestly felt a little miffed at first that they weren’t going to make costumes again like they had back in the Underground. What could have been so great that Papyrus went out and got it on his own? It was a simple little pleasure of his to create things for his brother, like the black gloves that Papyrus wore to work (he was exceptionally proud of those). He felt a little deprived.

He thumped his head back against the wall, his eyelights flicking up toward the door handle as if it had all the answers.

   “how ‘bout now?”

There was no response on the other side. He leaned away from the wall.

   “paps?”

He could barely hear a sigh from the other side.

   “ALRIGHT. IT IS AS GOOD AS IT IS GOING TO GET.”

His features twisting in confusion as he tried processing what that meant, Sans went for the door handle, turning it and pushing the door in. As soon as he was a few steps in, he stopped, his jaw dropping at the sight before him.

Papyrus was turned away from him, looking out the window with his clenched hands behind his back. He was completely bedecked in white, the material cutting clean and sharp lines down his form. The sun from beyond the window bathed Papyrus in warm light, giving Sans the impression that he was almost…glowing a little. His very own angel, he thought to himself.

   “…whoa.”

He could feel the nervousness coming off of Papyrus and saw the way his clenched hands came together to wring themselves in agitation.

   “turn to face me, paps. let me see you.”

With a deep breath, Papyrus turned around and Sans silently took his time drinking in the view. Several moments had gone by before Sans got up to Papyrus’s face and he quietly considered that his jaw was in serious danger of falling out of socket. It made Papyrus preen a little.

   “wow. uh…you certainly look…”

   “DASHING? HEROIC?”

   "you look great, paps."

Any lingering trace of nervousness coming through their bond disappeared.

   "WELL OF COURSE I DO!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the packaging that the outfit had come in and could make out the words “Naval Captain for Adults”. A captain, huh? He couldn’t help the internal bark of laughter; Undyne was going to get a kick out of that one. Ideas spun in his head almost immediately on how to compliment the stunning ensemble, his fingers itching.                                        

   "i don't know if it's still the same now as it was in the books," he murmured, reaching up to run a hand along one of the black shoulder boards, "but can i still be my captain's first mate?"

Papyrus blinked a couple of times. "NATURALLY, SANS. YOU'RE MY ONLY MATE!"

He leaned down and nuzzled the side of Sans’s face, causing the shorter skeleton to blush a little bit.

   “AND YOU’LL ALWAYS BE MY ONLY MATE.”

Papyrus moved away after a second and brushed down the uniform with white-clad hands. Sans followed the movement and eyed the gloves critically. They were cheaply made, fitting poorly on his brother’s long and elegant fingers and already fraying on the right pinky. Unacceptable, he decided. With a blinking of his sockets, he realized he was already weighing the various materials he could use against each other and trying to remember the cost of each type. What was with him and making gloves for Papyrus?

With a more expert eye, he studied the outfit again, immediately taking note of how the pants were a little too high due to Papyrus’s long legs, and the jacket sat a little too loose around his waist. There were also the wrinkles that came from it being folded, but Papyrus would iron those out as soon as Sans had gotten him out of that outfit---err, his mind hastily corrected, when he changed back into his regular clothes. Easy fixes, he affirmed with a mental nod.

   “-ANS. SANS!”

   “huh?” he responded with a start.

   “YOU’VE BEEN STARING AT ME FOR A LONG TIME. I KNOW IT LOOKS GOOD, BUT IT CAN’T LOOK _THAT_ GOOD.”

Sans shrugged, a light smile growing.

   “can ya blame me? just looking at my captain has me _standing at attention_.” he said with a wink.

   “DON’T YOU DARE.”

He held up his hands in surrender, trying not to laugh.

   “in all seriousness, there’s a few things i can fix to make the getup fit better on you. that is, if you’ll let me. i know you can do it yourself. just thought that maybe i could, ah i dunno.”

Papyrus watched Sans stumble all over himself with a fond smile. He hadn’t thought that Sans would feel neglected by not making costumes together this time. It had been a rather impulsive purchase, he admitted to himself. He remembered the way Sans had stared at him during their date, as if he were esomething otherworldly. The color of the suit brought back flashes of that look and he had grabbed it without another thought. The fact that it was a captain’s outfit was just a bonus.

   “SANS. IF YOU WANT TO HELP ME WITH MY COSTUME, THEN PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS.”

   “ah. yeah, okay. great.”

Sans eyed the outfit again, a lascivious grin slowly forming.

   “well i guess i’ll leave you to it, then. but i humbly request that the captain meet me in my cabin when he has a spare moment. there’s a matter of great importance i must discuss with him.”

Papyrus gave him a salute.

   “AS YOU WERE, THEN, FIRST MATE SANS. I SHALL BE ALONG SHORTLY.” He responded with utter seriousness, before allowing himself to crack a smile.

The shorter skeleton turned to leave, but looked over at the bed one more time where the packaging lay and one item remained unused.

   “oh and pap?”

   “YES?”

   “bring the hat.”

* * *

 

They both lay in the relative quiet of the room tangled around each other, their slowing breaths the only indication that the room was occupied at all.

   “YOU WOULD THINK…THAT BEING A CAPTAIN…WOULD INDICATE A POSITION OF AUTHORITY IN ALL SITUATIONS.”

Sans laughed breathlessly.

   “nah, not always.”

They dropped off into silence again, and as it dragged on, Sans let his thoughts wander. More often than not these days, they were sleeping in the same bed. Perhaps it was time for a more permanent arrangment, he mused. He shifted slightly, planting a kiss against the area where Papyrus’s soul would typically appear. The body below him shivered.

   “paps?”

   “YES?”

   “…d’you think we should stick to one room from now on?”

He felt more than saw Papyrus’s head turn to face him.

   “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”

   “i mean like…when we’re not doin’ the dirty, we sleep in our own rooms. d’you think we should just…stay in one room?”

   “SANS, ARE YOU ASKING TO MOVE IN WITH YOU?”

   “we already live together, bro.”

   “YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!” came the agitated reply.

Sans sighed to himself. Why was he nervous? What was there to be nervous about?

   “yeah, that’s what i’m asking. or for me to move in with you, whatever. just kinda…have our stuff together in once place. always wake up to your face, even if we weren’t goin’ at it the night before. brush our teeth side by side every morning and every night. that kind of thing.” he trailed off lamely, feeling his face heat up.

Papyrus was silent for a moment and it made Sans develop a cold prickle on the back of his neck bones.

   “SANS…” Papyrus began quietly, “HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED DOING THINGS LIKE OTHER MONSTER COUPLES?”

   “huh?”

   “I KNOW YOU’VE CONSIDERED US GROWING OLD TOGETHER, AND YOU WANT TO HAVE A MORE DOMESTIC RELATIONSHIP LIKE THAT OF AN ESTABLISHED COUPLE. I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO DO SO. BUT…I GUESS WHAT I AM TRYING TO GET AT IS…”

He paused.

   “HAVE YOU CONSIDERED SOMETHING LIKE MARRIAGE?”

Sans nearly choked on air.

   “m-marriage??”

He felt Papyrus nod against his skull.

   “w-where did this come from?”

   “FRISK MENTIONED IT SOME TIME AGO ONCE THEY BECAME AWARE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP.”

Papyrus mumbled something under his breath.

   “THEY WERE RATHER PUSHY ABOUT THE ISSUE, AS WELL.”

   “uh…well, i mean…weddings are big things, pap. it’s a big ceremony and exactly the kind of thing that would get the wrong kind of attention.”

The arms around Sans tightened.

   “NOT NECESSARILY. IT CAN JUST BE US AND OUR FRIENDS, MAYBE EVEN DONE INSIDE HIS MAJESTY’S HOME OR BACK YARD?”

Glancing down, Papyrus could see that what little of Sans’s face wasn’t hidden by his chest was dark blue. The nervousness that he had felt a fraction of from Sans was now overwhelmed by embarrassment.

   “but…it’d be cold outside.” He retorted uselessly.

   “I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO MARRY ME RIGHT THIS SECOND, SANS. I WAS ASKING IF YOU HAD CONSIDERED THE IDEA.”

The smaller skeleton shook his head and Papyrus barely resisted a giggle as the tip of Sans’s nasal bone grazed against his ribs.

   “I KNOW THAT THIS KIND OF THING TAKES TIME. AND THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP IS STILL FAIRLY NEW. BUT I AM CONVINCED THAT ONE DAY, YOU WILL NOT SHY AWAY FROM THE IDEA AND I CAN CALL YOU MY SOULMATE IN _ALL_ WAYS.”

He felt a short exhalation of air against his ribs.

   “i wasn’t exactly expecting an indirect proposal when i asked us to move into the same room.”

   “IT’S INEVITABLE, REALLY. I JUST THOUGHT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT IT.”

Sans tilted his head up so that he could just barely see Papyrus’s face.

   “what if i’d said no?”

The other skeleton’s eyes were closed and his grin was confident.

   “YOU WOULDN’T HAVE!” and then his grin faltered, his eyes opening to look down at Sans. “WOULD YOU?”

To this, Sans snorted and leaned up, the blankets shifting around them, and planted a kiss on Papyrus’s teeth. His expression was soft, loving.

   “couldn’t say no even if i tried.”

* * *

 

Sans and Papyrus stood waiting outside Asgore’s house, the taller skeleton shifting from foot to foot impatiently. Faintly, they heard Toriel’s voice from inside.

   “Asgore, get that for me, I cannot leave the kitchen.”

A deep rumble answered.

   “Of course, de---Toriel.”

The door swung open and both monsters paled slightly at the giant that greeted them. His fur was ashen gray and his hair was a deep black. His eyes were a bright hellish red, the fur around them darker, as if he never slept. He was clothed entirely in black and red, the high collar of his bright red cloak drawing attention to the enormous black horns sprouting from the top of the monster’s head. A lethal-looking bright red trident was clutched in his clawed left hand, glowing menacingly. The monster stared them down for a second, making their magic twitch instinctively, then he beamed at them, breaking the effect.

   “Ah, Sans and Papyrus! Please, do come in. You both look exceptionally sharp!”

With that, Asgore turned around and walked back inside, the dumbfounded brothers following after.

   “Y-YOUR MAJESTY, MAY I INQUIRE AS TO WHAT YOU ARE DRESSED AS?”

   “I believe Frisk called the costume ‘Satan’? They were quite helpful in putting it together. In fact, Frisk was the one that had the idea to use ash from the fireplace to dye my fur!” he finished with a laugh.

   _‘yeah i bet the kid is real familiar with how that’s supposed to look.’_ Sans thought bitterly, then shook his head. They weren’t that kid anymore, he reminded myself.

   “what about your eyes? i didn’t think humans had contacts big enough for your lookers.”

   “Oh, this?” Asgore made a hand gesture near his face and the red of his eyes bled into bright blue. “Simple illusion magic. It’s not much of a drain to use, so I felt it would be quite appropriate. Blue isn’t the scariest color around.”

   _‘tell that to our buddy frank. he flinched at anything blue for a solid week and a half.’_

Sans still patted himself on the back for that.

   “YO NERD!”

The three of them turned to face the owner of the voice and Sans promptly wanted to facepalm, laughter bubbling up in his throat. She was a pirate captain, with Alphys standing nearby as the ship carpenter/surgeon. She was wearing practical knee-high boots, fitting snugly over black pants. A bright white shirt with billowy sleeves was partially concealed by a brown leather corset and a long cloak fell down from her shoulders. The look was topped off with her eyepatch and a large hat fitted with a downy red plume. Alphys was a little simpler, her feet bare and the soft beige pants and white long-sleeve shirt she wore partially hidden by a thick leather apron. Her look was completed with a utility belt and red bandana tied behind one of her head spikes.

   “WOWIE! YOU TWO LOOK GREAT!”

Undyne stared down the skeleton brothers, trying not to gape as her brain caught up with her eyes. Papyrus was in a pure white uniform, neatly pressed and accented with gold buttons. Shiny black shoes covered his feet and an oddly shaped white hat with a black bill sat atop his head. What really caught her attention was the hip-length red-bordered white cloak that draped lightly across one shoulder and fell down the front of the other. As he turned to face Asgore as the king said something, she saw a large skull of an animal she couldn’t identify meticulously sewn onto the back of the cloak, encircled by a golden ring. It was beautiful…and intimidating. She turned her attention to Sans.

He was almost the antithesis of his brother, dressed in a crisp suit that was so dark blue she could have mistaken it for black, six golden buttons sitting in two rows across the front of his jacket. The cuffs of the jacket were lined in golden stripes and across the left breast, there was that same skull in a golden ring, sewn carefully into the fabric. Like his brother, he was wearing white gloves and black shoes, and had black shoulder boards across the top of his jacket, but he had no cloak or hat. They both looked amazing.

   “What the hell are you two supposed to be?”

Papyrus looked down at Sans and his chest puffed with pride.

   “I AM NAVAL CAPTAIN PAPYRUS, AND THIS IS FIRST MATE SANS!”

Almost immediately, as Sans predicted she would, Undyne puffed out her own chest, her expression indignant.

   “I’m the captain here, dweeb!”

And of course, knowing Papyrus as well as he did, he almost got it down to the exact second when he predicted Papyrus would respond, the tall skeleton’s hands curling into fists on his hips in a defiant stance.

   “I’M SORRY, UNDYNE, BUT AS THE CAPTAIN WITH THE MOST MODERN ATTIRE, I HAVE TO DECLARE SUPERIORITY THIS ONE TIME!”

   “What!?” With a flick of her bright red hair, Undyne stalked forward, pressing a finger into Papyrus’s crisp jacket.

   “Having a pretty outfit doesn’t make you the superior captain, bonehead. It’s all about your firepower! NGAHAHAHAH!”

Sans felt the need to stand by his bro and provide backup.

   “hate to break it do you, ‘dyne, but naval firepower has only gotten better over time.”

For a brief second, Undyne was startled into silence.

   “Yeah? Well, old time captains and their crews had to be tough and brave, spending months out at sea!”

   “’m pretty sure modern crews are out for months at sea, too.”

The tall fish woman glared at him. Sans blinked placidly.

   “The new crews are probably wimpy as hell, short-stack! Classic crews were in their trusty wooden ships, with limited food stores and nasty water! Not to mention the awesome swashbuckling battles!”

Sans crossed his arms, a smile tugging at his mouth. He could see Alphys behind the steamed fish woman, nervously wringing her hands, looking slightly embarrassed.

   “i’d have to say wooden ships, limited food, and gross water are all cons in this argument. Modern crews don’t have to worry about that kind of thing, so they can focus on other things, like getting a mission done.”

Papyrus watched Sans as he clearly got the upper hand in the argument, pride welling in his chest. How lucky he was to have such a knowledgeable brother and partner!

Undyne snarled, the finger she’d initially poked into Papyrus’s chest moving to point at Sans.

   “You wanna go, punk!?”

   “Ohhhh, _myy_.”

With a strange expression, Undyne turned to look at the newcomer and the brothers followed suit, Papyrus gasping and Sans finally facepalming, a low groan working its way out of his throat. Mettaton was braced against the doorway to the kitchen in the weirdest getup he’d ever seen. A short knee-length dress covered in tiny iridescent beads over thin layers of elaborately embroidered gold chiffon hung loosely over his frame. Shiny transparent stockings covered his legs and pointy gold shoes with a thin strip that ran over the top of his foot and wrapped around his ankles covered his feet. Black silk gloves came up to the robot’s elbows, and a set of long pearl necklaces draped over his chest. To finish the odd ensemble, a black fluffy feathered scarf was wrapped around his neck and a large set of sunglasses sat neatly on his strangely coiffed hair.

   “Oh, darling, look at you! You look simply _stunning_. Who knew you had it in you?”

He sauntered over to the brothers and practically prowled around Papyrus, immediately setting Sans on edge. Papyrus, on the other hand, was beaming.

   “WHY THANK YOU, METTATON! IT WOULDN’T LOOK AS GOOD AS IT DOES WERE IT NOT FOR SANS DOING ALTERATIONS FOR ME. ERR. PARDON ME FOR ASKING, BUT WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE?”

   “Oh, Papy dear, how kind of you to give credit to your brother when rocking the outfit is _all_ _you_.” he dragged out the last two words, his tone sultry. “ _I_ am what you call a Flapper, from the great human age of the 1920s.”

   “I’M AFRAID I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH HUMAN HISTORY OR ITS FASHION.”

   “I can educate you, if you’d like.”

Undyne watched the exchange, glancing at Sans and imagining that she could see the temperature around him dropping, despite his curiously flat expression. It was when Mettaton put a hand on Papyrus’s shoulder that Sans’s eye flared dangerously and Undyne considered intervening. Before she could take action, however, Papyrus’s body jolted and he backed away from Mettaton’s grasp, his posture closing defensively. Still, he tried looking friendly.

   “THAT’S OKAY, METTATON. I’M AFRAID I WOULD NOT BE THE BEST AUDIENCE.”

   “Oh,” Mettaton responded with a pout. “Perhaps another time, then.”

Sans’s voice was a low growl and everyone in the room shivered.

   “we’ll be right back.”

With a hand latching onto Papyrus’s wrist, the two of them disappeared with a ‘voip’. Undyne and Alphys looked at each other, slightly worried.

   “D-do you think h-he’s okay?”

   “I hope so. As for you,” she growled, looking at Mettaton. “What were you thinking!?”

Mettaton blinked, looking mildly offended.

   “I can’t appreciate a good uniform?”

   “APPRECIATE FROM A DISTANCE, YOU SLEAZE!”

She looked over at Alphys.

   “Didn’t you tell him!?”

   “Tell me what?”

Alphys was trying to bury her snout beneath her apron, her face turning bright red.

   “I-I-I forgot! M-Mettaton was o-on tour a-a-and I d-didn’t want to bother h-him…oh no…”

   “Sans and Papyrus are an item, if the matching outfits weren’t a huge giveaway.”

Toriel poked her head out from the kitchen.

   “Is something the matter?”

   “I’m afraid I may have caused some trouble between Papy dear and Sans. I wasn’t aware that they were more than brothers.”

Toriel frowned lightly.

   “I thought you would have been informed. I told Sans that you were the first to know, under the impression that Dr. Alphys would tell you first.”

Asgore walked up to the space the brothers had previously occupied, a worried look on his face.

   “I hope they are alright.”

* * *

 

Before Papyrus could get his bearings, Sans was on him, tossing the hat from his head and yanking him down by the collar, kissing him furiously. Papyrus automatically responded, his arms wrapping around Sans and lifting him up. Growling loudly, Sans wrapped them both in blue magic and forced them both to the ground, now pinning Papyrus down.

   “SANS—”

He was cut off as Sans kissed him again, this time Sans’s tongue pushing its way into Papyrus’s mouth. Rough hands undid the buttons of his jacket and pressed against his ribs through his dress shirt, making him squirm. His mind nearly came to a screeching halt as Sans ground down onto him through the fabric of their pants, a choked moan escaping him. The short skeleton growled again into his neck as he continued to grind against Papyrus. Their breathing was already heavy, short gasps leaving them both.

   “mine.”

   “W-WHAT?”

He nearly screamed at the sudden bite to his neck, pain and pleasure coursing through his system.

   “ **mine**.” Sans snarled.

His hands found their way to Sans’s hips, torn between holding them still and urging them on. A short yelp leapt from his throat when he felt Sans’s hand wrap around his spine, almost too firmly, and very briefly he wondered when Sans had managed to pull his shirt out of his pants. This was highly unusual behavior for Sans, never one to simply take or be too rough. He needed to get to the bottom of this. The decision was almost forgotten when Sans began stroking along the vertebrae, his higher thought processes stuttering.

As much as he wanted to simply give in and let Sans get it out of his system, this was not the way. With a surge of strength, he flipped the two of them over, a surprised ‘oof’ coming from Sans as he was pinned against the floor. Papyrus leaned down, clanking their foreheads together as he tried to regain control of himself, his body shaking. His eyesockets fell shut.

   “SANS…THIS IS…NOT HOW I WANT YOU TO HANDLE…THE SITUATION.”

There was stony silence beneath him and he opened his eyesockets to see Sans’s blue eye glaring up at him.

   “let go, paps.”

   “NO.”

He felt blue magic surround them again, but this time he was prepared, and gently neutralized it.

   “I SAID NO, SANS. PLEASE STOP.”

Sans said nothing, his glare finally losing some of its heat.

   “NOW PLEASE, TALK TO ME.”

   “he was flirting with you.”

Papyrus stared him down, waiting.

   “that over-sized calculator fuckin’ knows you’re with me, paps. but he still tried flirting with you in front of me. and you did nothing.”

He mulled over that statement for a moment.

   “SANS, I’D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER HOW FRUITLESS HIS FLIRTING WAS IF I DID NOT EVEN REGISTER THAT HE WAS FLIRTING IN THE FIRST PLACE.”

Sans’s glare returned, his eye flaring with magic.

   “he touched you.”

   “AND I IMMEDIATELY PULLED AWAY WITH AS MUCH TACT AS I COULD MUSTER BECAUSE ANY TOUCH EXCEPT YOURS STILL MAKES ME…JUMPY. THAT AND I FELT YOUR ANGER. I MEANT TO ASK WHAT WAS WRONG, BUT NOW I KNOW.”

The skeleton pinned under him deflated under his patient stare, his writhing magic finally calming some. Papyrus nuzzled him affectionately.

   “I AM, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, YOURS. NEVER CALL THAT INTO QUESTION.”

   “even when a tin can diva is throwing himself in your lap?” he grumbled.

   “ESPECIALLY THEN. AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT METTATON, AS MUCH AS I ADMIRE HIM, WOULD NEVER FIND A WAY ONTO MY LAP. THAT IS STRICTLY RESERVED FOR YOU.”

Sans sighed, finally completely calm. Papyrus leaned away and began to fix his costume, smoothing down any wrinkles that may have begun forming. He stared guiltily at the disheveled cloth, his soul sinking into his gut.

   “i’m sorry, paps. i didn’t mean to mess up your outfit.”

   “DO NOT APOLOGIZE. IT IS QUITE THE SIMPLE FIX.”

Papyrus hesitated, his cheekbones dusting a light orange.

   “BESIDES, IT WAS CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO SEE YOU BE SO FORCEFUL, SO…DOMINANT. I ALMOST DIDN’T HAVE THE WILL TO STOP YOU.”

   “is that right? huh, guess i’ll add that to the list of things to try later.”

Papyrus huffed, climbing to his feet and holding out a hand for Sans to take. With a quick tug, Sans was on his feet and he brushed down his own outfit.

   “WE SHOULD HEAD BACK. WE LEFT IN A BIT OF A HURRY.”

   “yeah, sorry ‘bout that. oh! here, you’ll probably be wanting this.”

With a quick flare of magic, Sans pulled Papyrus’s hat to him and brushed it off, handing it back to the taller skeleton. Papyrus tucked it under his arm and held out his hand for Sans to take, their fingers lacing together.

   “let’s go.”

* * *

 

Upon their arrival, multiple apologies were made to the brothers, Mettaton the most emphatic of them all, making it very clear that he would never attempt to put their relationship in jeopardy, declaring that such a move was beneath one as fabulous as himself. Grudgingly, Sans accepted the apology and Papyrus beamed. Alphys glanced at their linked hands and cooed to herself, her happiness for the two skeletons not lessened in the slightest since first hearing about them.

   “Careful, your fangirl is showing.”

   “Oh, Undyne, aren’t they so wonderful together!? Even something like jealousy can’t tear them apart, only makes them stronger! I-it’s admirable, really…”

She squeaked as an arm wrapped around her shoulder and squeezed and she looked up to see Undyne’s harsh features softened slightly as she stared at her best friend.

   “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

Alphys’s face turned bright red when she felt Undyne’s lips make contact with the top of her head.

   “Not as wonderful together as you and me, though. We’re the best, babe! No skeletons, no matter how best friend-y they are, are gonna beat us!”

The reptilian monster giggled, two of her fingers coming together in a light prodding motion she had seen in many of her human shows.

   “Y-yeah! I mean, I-I guess..”

Undyne laughed, ushering her girlfriend along to the kitchen to see if she could sneak any treats away while Toriel wasn’t looking. Conversation cycled through the house, Papyrus settling down for a chat with Asgore (“MY FLOWERS ARE DYING, YOUR MAJESTY, WHAT SHOULD I DO?” “Oh, I’ve got just the thing for you. And please, call me Asgore.” “OF COURSE, YOUR MAJ---KING ASGORE.” “…it’s a start.”), Sans getting caught up in a pun battle with Toriel much to Papyrus’s consternation, and Undyne and Alphys sitting with Frisk and Mettaton as the star regaled them with grand tales from his tour (“Oh my darlings, you would not be _lieve_ how sales of my MTT boots have just _sky_ rocketed! Showing off my legs while performing has awakened a fire in the hearts of every human. A glorious burning desire to have fabulous legs like yours truly!” Undyne groaned exaggeratedly).

A couple of hours later, Toriel and Papyrus stood in the kitchen and he watched as the queen, dressed in a nun's habit, searched through the various cabinets, her brows furrowing.

   “Oh dear. It seems I’m missing a couple of ingredients for this recipe.” She sighed in defeat. “I could have sworn Asgore kept a steady stock of supplies in hopes that I would bake here more often.”

Papyrus perked up.

   “WHAT ARE YOU MISSING? I MIGHT HAVE THEM AT OUR HOUSE.”

Toriel hummed to herself.

   “I would need some honey and peanut butter…but you don’t have to, Papyrus. We can always try something different.”

   “IT’S ALRIGHT, YOUR HIGHNESS! I HAPPEN TO HAVE BOTH OF THOSE THINGS SINCE ALL THE NEW RECIPES I TRY ON THE HUMAN COOKING CHANNEL REQUIRE A WIDE VARIETY OF INGREDIENTS. NEVER FEAR! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL DELIVER!”

Toriel giggled behind a paw.

   “Just Toriel, Papyrus, please. And if you really want to go get them, I would be grateful. I’m sure Frisk is going to love this sweet treat.” She paused for a second. “Well, I’m sure all of us will enjoy it, not just Frisk.”

   “I WILL BRING YOU THESE ITEMS WITH UTMOST HASTE, I SWEAR ON MY HONOR AS A FAKE NAVAL CAPTAIN!”

She giggled again.

   “Go, my brave captain, and bring us the means to a wondrous dessert!”

Papyrus puffed out his chest in pride at Toriel’s decree and flushed a bright orange.

   “LET ME GO TELL SANS, AND I WILL BE ON MY WAY!”

The tall skeleton bounded towards the living room and was about to open his mouth when he saw Sans in what looked like an in-depth discussion with Alphys, likely about science. He smiled to himself, thought better of it, and returned to Toriel.

   “AH, ACTUALLY, JUST TELL SANS THAT I WILL BE BACK SOON. I WOULDN’T WANT TO DISTURB HIM WHEN HE’S HAVING SO MUCH FUN.”

   “Alright, dear. You have your phone with you?”

   “YES, MA’AM!”

   “Okay. Please call if you need anything.”

* * *

 

Papyrus hummed to himself as he grabbed the items, slipping them into a plastic bag that he had saved from his various trips to the grocery store. He bounced lightly in place, happiness swelling in his chest. It was always a dream of his to be of service to the crown. Sure, he was only getting ingredients, but he was working directly under the queen! How many monsters got to say they did a favor for the queen herself? He tied the bag tightly, double knotting the handles together to make sure the two items wouldn’t fall out. With a satisfied nod, he stepped out of the house, locking the door behind him and beginning to make his way back to the party. Two minutes into his walk, he felt a presence behind him. Stopping in his tracks, he turned, a greeting on the tip of his tongue.

   “WHY HE…LLO THERE…” his voice trailed off when he saw the figure standing before him, dressed in black, their eyes hidden by sunglasses.

Human.

A human this far out? They rarely came near the monster settlement. And sunglasses? It was almost completely dark out. His posture stiffened slightly, his tone struggling to remain cordial.

   “HOW MAY I HELP YOU?”

   “Subject X-22, also known as Papyrus?”

   “X-22? MY NAME IS PAPYRUS, YES, BUT I AM AFRAID I DO NOT GO BY ‘X-22’.”

The human disregarded his response, his voice low and clinical.

   “You have been selected to participate in a scientific trial in hopes of furthering understanding between monsters and humans.”

It was them. Papyrus could feel himself tensing, his magic coiling inside him in preparation to defend himself. It seemed the human could read his intentions because they finally shifted and he suddenly felt another presence at his back.

   “I WOULD RATHER NOT PARTICIPATE, IF IT’S ALL THE SAME TO YOU.”

   “This is not a request.”

Papyrus was doing his best to remain calm, but it felt like that night was being repeated all over again. His eye flickered orange.

   “It is not recommended to resist. Your associates are being monitored as we speak by a trained sniper.”

The man pulled out a tablet and tapped a few times against the screen, eventually holding it out for Papyrus to see. On it was Sans, sitting straight-backed against the couch, his eyelights constantly going to the window. He felt a brief stab of panic, his grasp on the ingredients loosening, before squashing it down. The screen was turned away and shut off, going back into the pouch it was carried in. Papyrus silently considered the human in front of him. He could debilitate both of these humans and dart back to the house, but there was no guarantee that the sniper wouldn’t shoot if there was no response from his teammates. He could quickly map out where the sniper was and direct his magic over the few blocks and knock him out, but that would leave him vulnerable to the two humans near him as he tried concentrating. His shoulders sagged in resignation.

   “DON’T HURT MY BROTHER.”

   “He will be safe so long as you cooperate.”

   “I UNDERSTAND.”

   “Quickly now. The doctor has been expecting you.”

Nodding silently, Papyrus followed the human, doing his best to fill his thoughts with love and hope. He had a feeling he was going to be needing those emotions to get through what lay ahead.

The bag lay forgotten against the sidewalk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
> And thus starts the final arc.


	15. It's Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which many different conversations are had or  
> In which evil is given a face

Papyrus never came home.

As the minutes became hours, the lively atmosphere of the party became tense, more than one glance being shot at Sans as his expression became more drawn.

   “tori, he’d be back by now.”

   “I know, Sans. I told him to call if he needed anything…”

Sans stood abruptly, pacing in tight circles.

   “like he’d get a chance if he were in trouble,” he snapped. “he should have told me. why’d you let him go alone?”

   “I…”

Asgore placed a large paw on Sans’s shoulder, and the skeleton stopped, turning to stare at him with a single cold blue eye. The king didn’t flinch, instead squeezing slightly.

   “You need to keep a sound mind. It does no good to Papyrus for us to start fighting amongst ourselves.”

   “there wasn’t gonna be a fight, chief. excuse me for bein’ worried bout my only bro and soulmate.”

The large monster sighed softly, his expression becoming sad.

   “I know. I believe we are all worried at this point.”

Toriel hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer to Sans.

   “How does he feel?”

Sans snorted.

   “he’s radiating nothing but love and hope. like how he does normally, but dialed up to 20.”

   “I wonder what he’s thinking of?”

* * *

 

_‘IT’S COLD HERE.’_

* * *

 

   “i don’t know. but it’s gotta be something good.”

Sans couldn’t help but feel like it was a lie.

* * *

 

   _‘EVERY MONSTER I HAVE PASSED LOOKS SO AFRAID, SO EXHAUSTED.’_

* * *

 

Asgore looked over everyone in the room and nodded.

   “We will give it until mid-morning. If he has not returned, we will contact his employer and get in touch with the authorities. So far, they have not done much about the previous disappearances, but we must try.”

* * *

 

   _‘WILL THIS BE ME IN TIME?’_

_‘I MUST MAKE IT THROUGH THIS.’_

_‘I MUST RETURN TO SANS.’_

* * *

 

Before anyone could say anything, Sans was out the door and they all heard the slight thump of him sitting down heavily on one of the patio chairs. No one said anything or moved for a few moments.

Toriel motioned to Frisk.

   “Dear, would you please help me clean up the kitchen? It is getting too late, and your bedtime is approaching.”

   _I want to stay with Sans._

She hesitated.

   “Are you sure, my child? Sans may not want any company.”

Frisk nodded, their tiny mouth pulled down in a frown.

   _Sans needs somebody right now._

What a thoughtful child, Toriel thought to herself. She watched as Frisk followed after Sans and turned toward the kitchen, the black fabric of her costume brushing against her ankles. She tuned out the low conversation that had started up in the living room, the tinny voice of Mettaton a little louder than the others, instead focusing on the water as it ran over her paws. She had let him go. She had disregarded the danger, getting caught up in the festivities.

   “It is not your fault, Toriel.”

She turned her head slightly to look up at Asgore, his blue eyes focused on her. He looked somber, and she cursed herself as she remembered their own connection.

   “Yes, it is, Asgore. I let that poor boy leave, even though I knew the danger. He could be in the hands of those horrible people and—” her breath caught and her paws balled into fists, “it would be _my_ fault.”

With measured movement, Asgore reached over and turned the faucet off, his expression becoming gentle.

   “You may have let him go, but please believe me when I say that Papyrus’s absence is not your fault. Please do not blame yourself. There is so much you blame yourself for already. I am supposed to be the one who carries your burdens, remember?”

Toriel tucked her chin into her chest, her arms tightening around each other.

   “That is not your responsibility.”

A clawed finger found its way under her chin and lifted her head up to meet Asgore’s eyes again. She threw a weak glare in his direction.

   “Perhaps not. But I agreed to at least share them, just as you agreed to share mine, that long time ago when we bonded. I am here to support you, Toriel. Please allow me to do that. You are _not_ at fault for this.”

Toriel sighed softly and cast her gaze downward.

   “I will let Sans be the judge of that.”

Asgore wanted to argue, but no words left his mouth when he opened it. Instead, he gently took Toriel into his arms and held her, his eyes falling shut. He waited for her to pull away and was surprised when she shifted minutely, pushing herself into him. His arms tightened slightly.

   “We will find him. I promise.”

* * *

 

Papyrus sat quietly in the small room he had been placed in, his hands clasped in his lap. There was nothing of interest for him to look at, the walls barren and the only furniture being the chair he sat on. He had been sitting for several minutes already, waiting for this “doctor” the men that escorted him spoke of. Not “a” doctor. “The” doctor. That must signify some level of importance. As if the thought summoned him, a tall reedy man entered, his figure draped in a white lab coat.

Scientist, not doctor, Papyrus’s mind screamed. The face of this man was not the friendly one of a doctor. It was cold, clinical, his hazel eyes glancing over Papyrus quickly. Papyrus committed the details of his face to memory. He knew he’d be seeing a lot of this man. The bridge of his nose was crooked, as if it had been broken once, long before. His short ash brown hair stuck up a little near the back. His face was narrow, his lips thin, his eyes lined with dark circles.

   “State your name.” his voice was surprisingly deep for such a skinny man, and as cold as his eyes.

   “PAPYRUS.”

   “You will be known as X-22 in this facility to make archival of data simpler.”

Papyrus said nothing to this.

   “X class monster, second of your subspecies. X-21 is your…brother?”

He surged to his feet at the mention of Sans, easily towering a full head over the human. The scientist didn’t blink.

   “Y-YES! MY BROTHER, SANS! I WAS PROMISED THAT HE WOULD REMAIN SAFE SO LONG AS I AGREED TO COME HERE.”

   “Yes, of course.” he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Return to your seat.”

A little rebellious part of Papyrus wanted to keep standing, but he resumed his place in the chair anyway.

   “I am Doctor Hunter; I will be overseeing your stay here and any tests that may be performed.”

Papyrus interrupted before Dr. Hunter could continue and he studiously ignored how the man’s eyes narrowed.

   “WHAT KIND OF TESTS?”

   “There will be a wide variety. Stress tests to gauge your endurance. Magic tests to categorize and study your particular form of magic. Given your similarity to the human skeleton, a sample will be required to perform DNA testing to uncover any possible link to the human race. And so on and so forth.”

He made it sound like magic patterns were fundamentally different. Papyrus began speaking before he could stop himself.

   “EVERY MONSTER’S MAGIC PATTERN IS A CULMINATION OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND EXPERIENCES. IT IS, SIMPLY PUT, A MANIFESTATION OF WHO WE ARE. HAVEN’T YOU BEEN TOLD THIS ALREADY?”

The scientist jotted something down.

   “Yes, but not quite so succinctly.”

With a clicking of his pen, the scientist tucked his clipboard under his arm and gestured for Papyrus to follow.

   “We will begin immediately with the stress tests. We need to see how much you can handle.”

   “I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WHAT I AM CAPABLE OF.” He resisted using names. “MY TRAINER AND I USED TO SPAR ONCE A WEEK, AND THE LONGEST I COULD RUN WITHOUT REST WAS THIRTEEN HOURS.”

The scientist was silent for a moment.

   “I see. We will move on to the resistance tests, then, followed by the DNA test.”

   “RESISTANCE TESTS?”

* * *

 

Frisk sat in the chair beside Sans, the chair creaking with the added weight. They could barely see Sans’s face, but from what they could make out, it was disturbingly neutral.

   “Sans.” they called, their voice slightly scratchy from disuse.

   “hm?” his dim eyelights flickered over to them.

   “H…” they coughed a little. “How are you feeling?”

Sans stared at them for a few seconds, then closed his eyes and gave a huff of laughter.

   “heh. what do you think, kid?”

Frisk said nothing in response.

   “…part of me was afraid that this would happen. that it was only a matter of time.” he snorted in derision. “of course i wouldn’t get proved wrong.” He hissed suddenly and clutched at his arm, startling Frisk.

   “What’s wrong?”

A flash of confusion came through their connection, which was quickly smothered in love again.

   “somethin’ from paps, i think. somethin’ that got him confused, and somethin’ that hurt.”

   “Are you okay? Is he okay?”

Sans felt around the spot on his arm, frowning to himself.

   “’m fine. pretty sure paps is, too. for now.”

They were both quiet, Sans lost in thought, and Frisk trying to get the nerve to speak.

   “I’d LOAD if I could.”

His head swivelled to look at them sharply, his hands tightening on the arms of the chair.

   “don’t even joke about that, kid. paps wouldn’t want that, no matter where he’s at.”

Frisk waved their hands at him in a somewhat harried manner.

   “No, not like a RESET! Just…go back far enough to keep Papyrus from leaving the house.”

Sans sighed lightly, his hand coming up to rub at his skull.

   “yea. it’d be really nice.”

He shivered.

   “…i should probably head home. i already made the mood bad enough here, heh.”

Letting out a short huff, he pushed himself out of the chair and shoved his hands into his pant pockets.

   “i’ll see ya around.”

   “Sans.”

He turned his head far enough so that one eyelight was visible, trained in their direction.

   “When you decide to go look for him, I’m coming, too.”

A few moments passed in silence as he considered them, then he closed his eyesockets and lowered his head a little. Frisk could barely make out the small smile on his face.

   “yeah, sure thing, kid.”

Frisk blinked, wondering at the peculiar tone in his voice. When their eyes opened again, he was gone.

* * *

 

   “OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?” he cried, shifting in the binds that held him to the chair he sat in.

Dr. Hunter shook his hand, snuffing out the flame of the match he held. Tossing the small stick in a nearby trash can, he took out his pen and began to write on the clipboard in his other hand.

   “Heat resistance test complete. Now onto cold.”

   “I LIVED IN SNOWDIN FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS. I CAN HANDLE THE COLD JUST FINE.”

The scientist moved around Papyrus, undoing his binds.

   “You cannot worm your way out of every test with verbal evidence. I took your word for it with the endurance test because it wastes valuable time. I will not accept your word with anything else.”

Papyrus said nothing as he was led to a small chamber that had another chair inside.

   “Get in there. The test will last ten minutes.”

He hesitated, the tiny space making him uneasy.

   “WHAT DID YOU SAY THIS WAS FOR AGAIN?”

The scientist frowned at him.

   “Cold resistance. Get inside.”

As soon as Papyrus stepped inside, the door to the chamber shut behind him and he whirled around, feeling an instinctive flash of panic.

 _‘NO,’_ he thought to himself. _‘I NEED TO STAY CALM. THIS IS STILL BARELY A RESISTANCE TEST. IF I BEGIN TO LOSE MY COMPOSURE NOW, THE LATER TESTS WILL ONLY BE WORSE.’_

Settling himself down, he turned back around and sat in the chair, feeling the temperature around him drop. He closed his eyes, waiting for it to be over.

* * *

 

Sans wrapped a blanket around himself, now clad in his usual outfit, and shivered again.

   “so he’s cold now, huh…?”

The two of them didn’t feel cold quite as acutely as fleshier monsters, but they were by no means immune. It had to be really cold for him to be shivering as badly as he was.

He lay there, his shivering rattling his bones, and then he felt the cold start to die down, allowing him to think a little clearer. Papyrus was most definitely with _them_. There was no other conceivable reason for his brother to be burned or to be unnaturally cold. He gritted his teeth, feeling utterly helpless.

   “there has to be more to our bond than being able to feel each other’s emotions. come on…come _on_ …”

* * *

 

Papyrus stared at the small pipette in the scientist’s hand, a feeling of dread stealing over him.

   “W…WHAT TEST IS THIS?”

   “Acid resistance.”

* * *

 

Sans doubled over, clutching at his hand and unintentionally mimicking his brother as he screamed in agony. He felt light-headed as he fell to the floor, curling into a ball and cradling his hand.

* * *

 

The scientist flew into a rack of coats and masks against the wall, a spiderweb of cracks appearing in the wall behind him. He looked up at Papyrus, his eyes narrowing as he took in the pained, manic gleam in the one glowing orange eye. The subject was still very much a danger, he noted to himself as he warily eyed the large bone that hovered near the skeleton.

   “Keep in mind,” he said through the mask he was wearing, “that if I die, your brother’s life is forfeit.”

It seemed to take some effort for the monster to will away the large weapon, and the scientist stood slowly, brushing off his coat. The door to the room opened and a man clad in black entered, his hand immediately twitching toward the handgun at his side.

   “Stand down, Marson. The subject understands its position.”

Reluctantly, the man moved his hand away, staring hard at Papyrus. Papyrus didn’t spare him a glance. Dr. Hunter moved over to the table where the clipboard was and began making notes. Some darker, more instinctual part of Papyrus felt a sort of twisted satisfaction in seeing the scientist favor one leg more than the other. He tensed slightly when the scientist turned in his direction.

   “…don’t you, X-22?”

Slowly, he nodded in affirmative.

   “Good. Your hand will be bandaged and you will be allowed to eat and rest. Tests will resume afterward.”

* * *

 

   “what are they doing to you, paps?” Sans whispered against the soft carpet of their living room.

He thought of their connection again and tried thinking back. It had felt like a trickle, then. As time had gone on, he’d noticed the connection growing stronger, the channel of sorts between their emotions getting wider. He’d since had to start masking his feelings if there was something he didn’t want Papyrus to be aware of. How far could that channel open? What would he be able to feel if he pushed it open further?

Silently, he questioned the wisdom of the idea he was contemplating, but pushed it aside. It was an avenue he was willing to travel if it meant figuring out where his bro was. With a deep breath, he began focusing on their bond, pushing at it, trying to nudge it wider while sending Papyrus a burst of love. He felt a quick jolt of surprise, before love and fear and relief all came rushing at him, making him gasp for air for a second. So they could use it to communicate. Good. As he worked on the edges of the channel, he sent another wave, trying his best to convey ‘where are you?’. Curiosity. Worry. Nothing came from their connection for a minute, almost prompting Sans to send the question again, when he felt a brief cascade of emotion. Fear. Distrust. Sadness. Confusion. He didn’t like where he was at (obviously, Sans muttered to himself), and he upset because he didn’t know how to say what he wanted?

   “gimme just another moment, paps…gonna see what this does…” 

He nudged their connection again.

_‘HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY THIS?’_

Sans sat up straight, his eyesockets widening. He instantly sent a mental response.

_‘paps? paps! can you hear me!?’_

_‘OH STARS I MISS HIM SO MUCH ALREADY. I WISH HE COULD JUST HEAR ME.’_

His hands fisted in the cloth of his shorts.

_‘i can hear you, buddy. come on, just tell me where you are.’_

He sent a gentle wave of encouragement. Appreciation came filtering back.

_‘HE BELIEVES IN ME. HE…PROBABLY KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE ME.’_

It was quiet for a moment before there was a rush of alarm. Sans tried sending calm back at him. It didn't work.

_‘OH NO! IF HE KNOWS, AND HE CAN SEND ME EMOTIONS IN RESPONSE…THAT MEANS HE…FELT WHEN DR. HUNTER PUT ME THROUGH THOSE TESTS? OH NO…I CAN’T LET HIM SUFFER WITH ME.’_

_‘paps, no, i’d gladly suffer with you, please just talk to me, hear me, anything.’_

Sans felt a wave of sadness come through, followed by resignation. Papyrus's mental voice sounded tired, but full of resolve.

_‘PLEASE, SANS. DON’T GO LOOKING FOR ME. I WILL FIND A WAY TO RETURN TO YOU.’_

_‘paps. paps? paps, no, whatever you’re doing or planning, don’t, please, just—’_

He felt something like a wall spring up between them and his eyesockets went dark in horror. Wave after wave of emotion was thrown at Papyrus. He got no response.

   “no no no. damn it, paps, no!”

Sans paced like a caged animal around the room, his hands grasping at his skull as he processed what Papyrus had just done. He had closed himself off from Sans to spare him the pain. The steady stream of love that had been coming through was gone, and Sans had never felt so lonely in his life. Eventually, he sat himself on the couch and buried his head in his hands, doing his best not to cry in frustration. Moments passed in silence as Sans’s breathing leveled out and his shaking stopped. Slowly, he dropped his hands and looked up, his expression set in a flat glare. He recounted Papyrus's words and latched onto that doctor’s name like a lifeline. He could work with that. Screw Papyrus’s request.

   “i’m gonna find you, paps. just sit tight a bit longer.”

* * *

 

It had been perhaps six or seven hours that Papyrus had sat in the corner of his room, holding his injured hand close to his chest. He didn’t want to think. He didn’t want to really even feel. Sans had felt those tests. Now Sans knew he was in pain. Now Sans would probably go looking for him. He drew his knees closer to his body, trying to make himself small. He missed home. He missed Sans. It had barely been half a day and yet it felt like it had been eons. He tried hard not to flinch when the door to his room opened with a click of the lock. The scientist stood on the other side, that damned clipboard in his hand.

   “X-22, it is time to resume testing.”

Gulping slightly, Papyrus stood, his bandaged hand dropping to hang limply at his side. His expression was calm as he met the gaze of the scientist.

   “WHAT TEST DID YOU SAY WAS NEXT?”

   “DNA testing.”

   “I SEE. WHAT DOES THIS TEST CONSIST OF?”

The hand hidden by the pocket of Dr. Hunter’s coat twitched. It was not unusual for more sentient test subjects to ask questions, but the calm, expectant tone of this one was beginning to grate on his nerves. It acted as if it were talking to a colleague, or was doing a routine visit to a doctor’s office. He would continue to humor its questions for now. It would learn its place. Soon, hopefully.

   “I take a sample of your marrow.”

Papyrus nodded in affirmative. Their walk to the lab was silent after that, Papyrus's sockets roving around the halls, mentally making a map of the place. Like the “doctor” himself, the halls were cold, empty, bleak expanses of white and gray with stainless steel rails at every grouping of stairs. There were several doors like his, white, with tiny windows just large enough to peer in. He stopped in his tracks when he looked through one and saw a Shyren laying limp in her cot, her normally lustrous blue-green scales ashen and mottled. Without thinking, Papyrus moved toward the door and yanked on the handle, trying to open it. Dr. Hunter turned toward him, frowning.

   “X-22, what are you doing?”

   “SHE NEEDS HELP, SHE HAS FALLEN DOWN! SHE REQUIRES A HEALER, A-A MAGIC INFUSION, SOMETHING!”

The scientist was silent for a couple of beats, then moved to grab at his hip and pulled a black device to his mouth.

   “Marson, Subject T-3203 on Floor B requires extraction.”

There was a click of static on the other end.

   “10-4.”

Papyrus stared at the scientist, waiting for an explanation. Resisting the urge to clench his jaw, the scientist turned back around and motioned for Papyrus to follow.

   “The subject will be taken care of. You have no more need to worry. Let us continue.”

He had a feeling that Shyren wasn’t going to be healed and felt guilt churn in his soul.

When they entered the lab, Papyrus noticed the black padded table that had been pulled near the light. The human pointed at it with his pen.

   “Lay on that, face down.”

Papyrus complied, his arms coming up to grip at the headrest. He could hear the man moving behind him, the scrape of something metallic echoing in his skull. It was taking everything in him to not tense in anticipation. He almost instinctively lashed out again when he felt his pants pulled down slightly and his shirt pushed away from his hips.

   “WHAT ARE YOU—??”

   “Hold still.”

It was the only warning he got before he felt a sharp piercing pain in his iliac crest. He bit back a yelp, singing in his head as loudly as he could as he felt a pulling sensation from the area. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but it was still long enough for him to have to resist crying. He heard the slight clack of something being placed on a metal table.

   “You may fix your clothing now.”

Papyrus immediately sat up and pulled his shirt down, hissing quietly at the painful twinge in his hip. He felt violated. As he continued adjusting his clothing, the scientist began to speak.

   “One of my personnel will escort you back to your room. I must begin tests on this sample immediately.”

He watched as the scientist seemed to promptly forget he existed, carrying the syringe that had likely been used on Papyrus over to one corner of the room, hunching over it as if it had all of life’s answers. His head swivelled toward the door when he heard it open, a guard that he didn’t remember the name of motioning toward him with one hand to follow. This one was twitchy, he noted, the human constantly looking toward him out of the corner of his eye in obvious distrust, his hand never straying too far from his weapon.

On the way back, he glanced inside the room that had housed the Shyren. It was empty. Papyrus wanted to hope that she was getting help, but again, he somehow doubted that. Faint whispers reached him and he looked ahead to see a group of five humans in lab coats, two male and three female, heading their way. They all quieted when they saw him and one girl paled slightly, her eyes widening as she took in his skeletal appearance. When they were past, they immediately started whispering again, Papyrus’s keen hearing picking up their conversation.

   “A skeleton monster, who would’ve thought?”

   “It’s freaky, is what it is.”

   “Why was it wearing such a fancy suit?”

   “Pre-emptively dressing for its funeral?”

   “Don’t be ridiculous, it can’t know it’s going to die.”

   “You don’t know that, it could be smarter than the others. Besides, not one subject has survived yet. For having all these great abilities, monsters seem awfully weak.”

   “What do they call that in videogames? Glass cannons?”

   “Eh, close enough.”

Papyrus couldn’t hear anymore because they’d gotten too far, but he’d heard enough. It. They all called him ‘it’. They could have been talking about a stick and it would have been just as effective. He had no name, no strength, no sense of self. Numbly, he walked inside his room without even looking at the human that escorted him and sank to the floor in the corner he had inhabited not but ten minutes ago. As if in a daze, he reached for the cloak that he’d folded carefully and placed it on his knees, the animal-like skull staring at him with dark sockets. He brushed a thumb along the golden circle surrounding it, then leaned his face down and nuzzled the soft fabric. His fingers tightened on the cloak and he shut his eyesockets, his breaths growing deep and heavy as he resisted the urge to cry.

   “I WANT TO GO HOME.” he rasped, knowing that he might not.

* * *

 

_Subject Report: X-22_

_Original Name: Papyrus_

_Species: Monster_

_Subspecies: Skeleton_

_Height: 198 cm_

_Weight: 44 kg_

_Primary Language: English_

_Note: Subject is skittish about touch and will react violently, seemingly involuntarily, if its pain threshold is met. It is to be treated with caution, as it is still capable of causing injury if its weapons are summoned._

_Subject X-22 is a loud, but intelligent and articulate monster. Its speech pattern reflects an older style of conversation, hinting at a background in reading literature. It has stated that it has above-average endurance._

_Heat resistance tests showed average results. Cold resistance was higher than that of humans or other monsters. This may be due to its lack of skin or internal organs to properly detect cold. Acid resistance was average._

_DNA tests have reported no link between X-22 and any stage of human evolution. When put under a microscope, the sample’s cells were vibrating in agitation.Cell structure is entirely different from that of plants or animals. The walls of the cells expand and contract, as if breathing, and the single construct inside the cell pulses with orange light, the same color as the magical eye the subject developed when injured.This could perhaps be the foundation of the subject’s magic. More samples will be needed._

_[Addendum]: The cells died two minutes and thirteen seconds after separation from their host, seemingly disintegrating. It is not a long enough life-span to study its behavior._

_Magical capacity: ________

Dr. Hunter rubbed at his eyes underneath his glasses, then took a long, slow sip of his oolong tea. He stared at the report in front of him and smiled faintly to himself. Progress was being made.

   “And now we begin Phase Two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This hurt me to write. Also don't take any of the science seriously.


	16. Seeing White, Seeing Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things come to a head or  
> In which the endgame appears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps I should mention now that there are two more chapters, the finale and the epilogue. Both will be written together, so that there won't be a large gap between the two chapters. So expect the next chapter to take about a week and a half. The final chapter of Firsts will be posted right before the final chapters of Adjustments are posted. I'm really excited about this, and am so happy that all of you have stuck with me this far. Enjoy!

It was as soon as the doors opened that Sans was striding across the floor of the City Hall, his eyelights roving across the room, searching. A messy shock of black hair caught his attention and he made a beeline for the human that was currently grabbing a pastry and grabbing at a bottle of apple juice.

   “hey.”

The human turned around, his expression a little bewildered at being called so soon in the morning. Upon seeing Sans, he smiled widely, raising his bottle in greeting.

   “Oh, hey Sans! How’s it going? Where’s Papyrus?”

Sans’s returning smile was faint, his own hand raising in a quick wave.

   “yeah, that’s what i wanted to talk about.”

John’s smile slipped a little.

   “Huh?”

   “we got somewhere to sit?”

The black-haired human was turning as soon as Sans finished his sentence, speaking as he went.

   “Y-yeah! I have my own little office. This way.”

   “thanks, kid.”

John’s office was only a short distance away, requiring only a single turn down a hall. The human closed the door behind him as Sans took a seat in front of the desk. Once John was seated and his lame excuse of a breakfast set aside, he leaned forward, his brows drawing together in worry and his blue eyes becoming dark.

   “Is Papyrus okay?”

   “i don’t know.”

   “What do you mean, ‘you don’t know’?”

Sans rubbed one hand across his face, his eyesockets falling shut.

   “Papyrus went missing last night.”

John nearly bolted out of his chair, his hands gripping the edge of his desk.

   “What!?”

   “yeah. you know how papyrus is. he’s an upstanding guy and would go outta his way not to worry anyone. so him bein’ gone means he’s gotten into some kinda trouble.”

He looked up at John, the hand that had rubbed his face curling into a fist just beneath the height of his chin.

   “i intend to find out what that trouble is and who’s responsible.”

   “What can I do to help?”

Sans blinked in surprise, his fist falling down to his lap.

   “huh. i didn’t think you’d actually volunteer yourself before i got to ask.”

John puffed up indignantly, his eyes glittering with emotion.

   “Papyrus is my friend! If he’s in trouble, I want to help!”

In that moment, John’s energy reminded him so much of Papyrus that he felt his soul lurch in pain, and he unconsciously gripped at his chest, his jaw clenching together.

   “Oh crap, dude are you okay!?”

   “yeah i’m fine, why?”

Wordlessly, John handed him a tissue. Sans stared at it in confusion before the cool air hit his face and he could distinguish a track of wetness traveling from his left eye down to his chin. With forced casualness, he swiped at his eye.

   “crap, sorry. dunno what that was about.”

   “Your bro is missing, Sans. It’s okay to be upset about it, you know.”

Despite the words of comfort and reassurance, Sans still squashed the urge down. He’d have time to cry later, after his brother was found.

   “nah, it’s cool. anyway, i got a lead that i need help with.”

The human still looked very skeptical, but he didn’t push the issue, seeming to understand what Sans was thinking.

   “Alright. What’s the lead?”

   “Dr. Hunter.”

John scratched at his chin, frowning to himself.

   “There could be dozens of Dr. Hunters in the area. This city is huge!”

   “It’d be a doctor of science. PhD in a field of physics or biology, hell maybe even chemistry. There was a call for volunteers a while back, some half-ass cover story of needing monsters to come in to undergo some basic tests to bridge the gap of understanding between our races.”

   “Hmmm. Alright, let me look this up real quick.” He laced his fingers together and pushed them out, cracking his joints. “The master is about to work his magic! Hehe.”

He cringed a little when he took in Sans’s flat expression and lowered his arms, one hand going to turn on his computer screen with a flick of his finger.

   “Err, sorry.” he said meekly.

After a few moments, John began to type away, his fingers moving with a speed that Sans couldn’t help but be impressed with.

   “movin’ like the wind there, kid.”

The human gave him a strange look, a little smile twitching over his pale lips. Sans continued, his voice softer.

   “i appreciate you doin’ this for me.”

John blushed a little, his eyes going to the ceiling in embarrassment.

   “Ah, dude, come on. I wanna do what I can. Like I said, Papyrus is my friend!”

Sans absently rubbed a hand over his chest where his soul would be.

   “i’m glad he’s got a friend like you.”

John focused on Sans’s hand, the tone of his voice. His typing paused for a moment.

   “You’re really hurting, aren’t you?”

   “…i’ll be fine when paps is home.”

   “You know you don’t have to do this alone, right?”

Sans huffed, his mouth twitching upwards. John felt his heart jump into his throat when Sans looked at him, one eye blue and the air behind him wavering, hinting at the appearance of something large.

   “who said i was alone?”

Still, he wasn’t going to back down.

   “I-I mean working with your friends! I mean…you have friends, right?”

As the magic dissipated harmlessly, Sans chuckled a little.

   “alright, alright, tell you what. if it makes you feel better, you can tell asgore and tori yourself about whatever we find here since ya don’t seem to trust me about not goin’ lone wolf.”

   “Asgore and…wait, do you mean the king and queen!?”

   “yep. they should be by today to talk to pap’s boss. maybe they should try talkin’ to the mayor, too. the police aren’t doin’ a damn thing to find all the missing monsters.”

   “All…? How long has this been going on? How many are missing?”

   “too many, and too long.”

John gave a worried frown and turned his eyes toward his desk, then back to Sans.

   “That’s not right. I’m gonna get in touch with everyone I know, see if we can bring attention to this. I’m friends with a lawyer, a DJ, a well-loved chef, all kinds of people. We’re not all bad people, I promise you.”

Sans sighed, a tired smile on his face.

   “yeah, i know. thanks for remindin’ me.”

He sat up a little straighter when he noticed John looking at his computer screen with narrowed eyes.

   “I’ve got one Dr. David Hunter here…biochemical engineer with a PhD in both biology and organic chemistry. He had apparently been one of the best students to graduate from his respective programs and had begun specialized research into…uh…organic synthesis and biofuels. His funding got cut and his research shut down after he “violated the terms of the agreement”. After that he kind of fell off the face of the planet.”

John looked over at his companion and noticed that Sans had gone very, very still. Something in his gut sank.

   “…what’s wrong?”

   “what the hell is that freak planning?”

   “Sorry, but you’re gonna have to elaborate for the dumb human a bit.”

   “if that’s the right dr. hunter, his background would indicate that he’s taking monsters and trying to see if he can use them as…as resources.”

   “What!?”

   “maybe. i’m not sure. i have some books at home that i gotta look up, then i really gotta find my bro. do you know where this guy’s at? maybe some really plain buildings that got bought up in the last 3 or so months?”

Blue eyes glimmered as John hunched over his keyboard, occasionally moving one hand over to the mouse to click something. He seemed to be all concentration now.

   “That might take me a little while.” his gaze briefly moved to Sans. “Why don’t you go and read those books and I’ll call you when I got something?”

   “yeah, that sounds good.”

Spying a pen near John’s left hand, he pulled it over with his magic, narrowly missing the man’s nose and making him go cross-eyed for a second. He reached over with his hand and pulled a notepad from the corner of the desk, quickly scribbling down his number and pushing it towards John.

   “here, text or call, it doesn’t matter. i’ll be here as soon as i get either.”

John spared him a bright smile and a thumbs up before turning back to his computer.

   “Gotcha!”

Despite having seen it a couple of times from when he’d pick up his brother, he couldn’t really stop himself from yelping when Sans abruptly disappeared, the air around him making a weird ‘voip’ noise. Shaking his head, he took a swig of his apple juice.

   “Man, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”

* * *

Papyrus sagged slowly to his knees, doing his best to guide his descent. Sweat poured down down his skull and his breath came in deep gasps. His arms shook as he placed his hands against the floor, his body hunched.

   “CAN WE PLEASE STOP? I’M SO TIRED.”

Dr. Hunter looked at his wristwatch and rose to his feet, moving over to a table situated against a wall.

   “You didn’t lie about having high endurance. Impressive.”

Papyrus nodded weakly, leaning back to sit on his legs.

   “YES. AND I’VE SHOWN YOU EVERYTHING I CAN DO…REPEATEDLY.”

At least, he was sure he had. Every single bone attack he could think of, expertly thrown and weaved with his impeccable control. He could handle this. Training had always been something that brought him peace, his body and magic moving to a rhythm that had been burned into his soul and etched into his bones. Cooking brought a similar feeling, but not one quite as satisfactory, especially once he found out that the proper method required more finesse and not as much violence and house burning. He could do finesse, of course—in fact, he excelled at it—but cooking with Undyne and adopting her unique method had filled his days in the Underground with excitement, with happiness. He clung to that thought.

   “Not everything.”

He lifted his head to see the scientist still standing near his table, but with a large syringe in his hand. Unconsciously, he felt himself begin to shake harder, but not from fatigue.

   “You have yet to show me your “blue” attack, as you once called out.”

   “Y-YOU WERE WATCHING SINCE BACK THEN?”

The man didn’t look even remotely apologetic.

   “We have been watching since the moment you entered the city. But that is irrelevant. I am going to walk towards you now, and I want you to stop me with this “blue magic” of yours.”

It had been a sore temptation to simply entrap the scientist and everyone he ran across in bones, but he had no idea if they were still watching his brother. And now he wanted him to use blue magic? On him? The need to escape itched along Papyrus’s bones, but he shoved it down, still eyeing the syringe. As gently as he could manage, he exerted his magic over the human and watched as he gradually began to struggle to take a step, eventually coming to a standstill a good eight feet away.

He could see how the human was taking deeper breaths, breaths that he really didn’t need. His blue magic couldn’t squeeze the breath out of someone or make their bodies literally weigh more, but the way it interacted with the target’s soul made their mind perceive it that way. He wasn’t so sure about Sans, though. Sans could do some really amazing things with his blue magic, able to manipulate inanimate objects and do that warping move of his. Granted, he wasn’t entirely sure if Sans’s warping ability had to do with blue magic, but he could think of no other conceivable alternative. Still, Sans was far better with blue magic than he was, and there had been a point long ago where he had been jealous, pushing himself extra hard to try and master it. He never had. He had, however, honed what he did know to needle-fine precision, able to stop an attack inches from someone’s face and able to direct his bone attacks like a conductor by lining them with a nearly invisible layer of blue. Perhaps he’d never be able to fully control objects outside of himself, but he’d most certainly control everything that was him.

   “You may release me now.”

Papyrus almost reluctantly did so. Dr. Hunter tried to be subtle with the gasp of air he took, but Papyrus caught it and resisted an amused smile.

   “Again.”

Any shred of humor in Papyrus evaportated instantly.

   “BUT I TOLD YOU, I’M TIRED! I AM VERY SORRY, DOCTOR, BUT I CANNOT FORCE MYSELF TO USE MAGIC THAT JUST ISN’T THERE.”

The human didn’t look pleased in the slightest.

   “I see. We will continue this when you have regained your energy, then. In the meantime, I will test this on you.” He held up the syringe. “Present your arm.”

The fluid inside the syringe was transparent and a faint greenish color. Everything inside Papyrus was screaming at him that whatever was in that syringe was bad.

   “…WHAT DOES IT DO?”

He saw a muscle in the scientist’s jaw twitch and instinctively tried to recoil when the man seized his humerus, yanking it forward. Fear was pulsing through his entire body, coupled quickly with pain when the man shoved the needle with excessive force straight into the bone, a whimper working its way out of his throat. The human immediately began muttering under his breath, apparently making notes even without that accursed clipboard in his hands.

   “…I wasn’t quite expecting it to pierce so easily. The bones are marginally softer than that of a human’s, interesting. Now to see the results.”

Papyrus felt nothing at first, rubbing at his arm gingerly once the needle was removed and the man was out of reach. After perhaps half a minute, he noticed that his inner voice was slurring and that thought wasn’t coming as easily. He felt a surge of alarm and tried to rise to his feet, but the movement made the world swim and he collapsed onto his side, fear once again curling around him like a serpent, but even that felt oddly dulled.

   “W..WHAT…DID…YOU… …DO…”

The voice of Dr. Hunter sounded far away, and behind a thick layer of cotton.

   “…-as a success…-ing on to…”

He hated it here. He hated this man. He just wanted…

   “…S…ANS…”

* * *

 Some distance away, Sans closed a biochemistry text and rubbed a hand over his eyes. God, he was tired. He hadn’t slept well the night prior, nightmares always waiting for him as soon as he closed his eyes. It was okay; he’d managed to deal with the sleeplessness before, he could do it again. Except…he didn’t have his brother here to help this time. Sans cursed to himself for the umpteenth time in only a handful of hours. It was infuriating to not know the next move, or to at least have a hint of it, and at that thought he shuddered, hardly believing he’d want even a fraction of what he’d dealt with before. No. He’d take this over that horrible loop any day. At least here, he had no guarantee that his brother was going to end up dy—he shut the train of thought down, not wanting to even entertain the idea. He was going to save his brother. Period. He nearly jumped when he felt his pocket vibrate, and had the phone in his hands and open before it had even finished the second ring.

   “hello?”

The slightly nasally voice on the other side sounded relieved at hearing him.

   “Sans? Hey, it’s John! I’ve got some info for you!”

   “lay it on me.”

John quirked a brow when he heard Sans’s voice suddenly a lot clearer than before, then nearly leapt out of his chair when he turned and found Sans standing in front of his desk. He flailed his arms a bit and Sans raised a brow ridge when he saw that the gesture had sent the pen in John’s hand up into the ceiling. It had to be embedded a solid inch and a half into the spongy tiles. Kid had one hell of an arm.

   “Jesus!”

   “nah, don’t have nearly enough hair.” Sans immediately replied, one hand going up to rub against his skull.

   “Ha ha,” John deadpanned before looking at his empty hand then up at the ceiling, groaning when he saw the pen.

   “Dang it, that’s the third time this month…”

   “you make a habit of using the ceiling as a pin cushion?”

   “No! Yes! I…” John blushed, his hands sliding up under his glasses to cover his face, the frames becoming lopsided. “I get startled easily.”

Sans huffed in laughter, getting a kick out of how easy it was to push this kid’s buttons.

   “chill, kid. i’m not gonna judge ya for accidentally stabbing your innocent ceiling.”

   “I’m not a kid,” John mumbled, sulking.

   “i know you’re not. it’s just a thing i do. consider it a term of affection when it comes to humans.”

   “Oh.”

Sans leaned his forearms against the back of the chair, his wrists overlapping and his hands dangling freely. One would think he was just there to have a friendly chat based on his relaxed posture, but his expression told a different story, his face set in hard lines and his eyelights focusing on John with such intensity that the man had to resist a shiver.

   “you said you had information.”

   “Ah…yeah.” He pressed a couple of keys on the keyboard and bright light reflected off of his glasses.

   “I’m reading here that a grocery store near the edge of city limits that had closed down 2 years ago was bought in September of last year. Since then, a lot of materials have gone into the place, so I’m assuming it’s been gutted and remodeled. Weird layout, too; there’s the base and 2nd floor, and then there’s two basement levels. Not sure what the previous owners were thinking, making a grocery store with that many floors, but it had been a hit before one of them passed away and the other let the place tank.”

Sans narrowed his eyes in thought.

   “definitely sounds like a place to convert into labs, especially the lower floors. ya got an address?”

John turned the screen as far away from Sans as he could manage, giving the short skeleton a scrutinizing look.

   “How am I supposed to know you’re not going to try to do a one-man rescue mission if I let you see?”

   “i won’t, i promise.”

John still didn’t budge.

   “I don’t think I can take your word for it. I mean this is your brother we’re talking about! People don’t…they don’t always think straight when it comes to their loved ones.”

   “sounds like you’re talkin’ from experience.”

The human rubbed at his neck, his expression suddenly seeming old.

   “I’ve lost people I loved before. It felt like a hole in my chest; it felt like I’d died with them. It made me do stupid things. And I can tell you right now that if I’d known there was a chance to save them, I would have done anything, even if it was probably really, really stupid in hindsight, to do so. Something tells me you think the same way.”

Sans said nothing, his eyelights glued to the desk.

   “I thought so. I’m going to hold on to this information until I’ve told the mayor, the police, and your king. If we’re gonna bust your bro outta there, we’re doing it together, okay?”

   “…sure thing, kid.”

It wasn’t exactly the kind of response he was hoping for, but John would take it.

   “Yes, good. I uh…” John rubbed at his neck again. “I don’t suppose you’re hungry?”

Sans stared at him for a moment. He hadn’t eaten since sometime last night. Food _did_ sound good…

   “sure, after asgore and tori show up. just tell em what you need to tell em.”

   “Great! I can tell you stories about Papyrus in the meantime! Like…oh! Did you know about the time Papyrus chased a sparrow all over the building, shouting that it had no official business with us and should leave?”

Sans smiled slightly, leaning more of his upper body over the back of the chair. He could do with a little distraction.

   “go on.”

* * *

 When Papyrus awoke, he immediately noticed that he was not in the same room he had originally been kept in. He struggled to sit up, his head feeling like it was full of cotton, then looked around the room, searching for what had essentially been functioning as his safety blanket. Where was it? Where was his cloak? For that matter, where was his jacket? He had taken it and his gloves off and folded them as neatly as possible before the scientist had made him wear himself down with magic, so now he was only in his white undershirt and his slacks. His shoes were scuffed. He’d need to buff them when he got home, he thought absently. In a fit of frustration, he shook his head. Why wasn’t the fuzziness going away?

   “WHERE AM I…?”

   “You are in a room where I’m testing a prototype technology.”

Papyrus jumped, not expecting the response. His head moved every which way, trying to find the source, then looked up in the corner where a small black speaker and camera were situated.

   “WHAT?”

   “Use your magic.”

He scrunched his face together, feeling some amount of confusion at the out-of-the-blue request.

   “I will not repeat myself, X-22.”

Still not feeling entirely comfortable, he complied, gathering magic in his hands to form a bone attack. All he got was a swirl of orange mist that dissipated with barely a whisper. He stared at his hand, not entirely comprehending, or perhaps just refusing to believe what he had just seen. His dark sockets flew up to the camera, accusing.

   “WHAT DID YOU DO?”

   “I removed your claws.” Came the tinny reply.

Papyrus paced around the empty room like a caged animal, flexing his hands and eventually bringing them up to grasp at his arms. He wasn’t powerless, but he felt like he had a noose around his neck not being able to summon his magic. His calm was being sorely tested with its loss.

   “WHERE ARE MY BELONGINGS?”

The scientist ignored him.

   “You will be retrieved soon to resume testing with your “blue” ability.”

Nothing else came from the speaker afterward, and after several more minutes of agitated circles being made around the small space, Papyrus sank to the floor against one of the walls. His eyesockets moved slowly around the ceiling, frowning at the white paint. White walls, white ceilings, white clothes, white labcoats. He didn’t want his memories tainted, but he was beginning to dislike white with it being everywhere. He visualized Sans sitting in front of him, his legs crossed, a lopsided smile on his face. There was no telling what the Sans of his mind was feeling, or if he wondered why they were both on the floor, but he liked to think that Sans would tell him how great white was, explaining that it gave his bones some color, and brought out the orange of his blush. And then he’d wink at Papyrus. He laughed behind his hand, smiling affectionately at his brother and opening his mouth to reply before remembering where he was and that Sans wasn’t really there. He rubbed his hands over his face, feeling a little uncomfortable with himself.

   “A LITTLE EARLY TO START GOING CRAZY, WOULDN’T YOU SAY, PAPYRUS?”

He gently papped himself in the face. He shouldn’t speak out loud like that, either. There wasn’t time for insanity or anything even remotely close to insanity. He had to focus and make a new mental map after he left this room and monitor the guards. The majority of the labs were in 1B. His room and that of many other monsters had been on 1F. If this room had no small window on its door, that meant he was on a floor he was unfamiliar with. His brow furrowed in thought. Why had he been moved? And what was it that had dampened his magic? Closing his eyesockets, he focused, feeling his magic in the core of his being. It shifted and writhed inside of him, no happier at being contained than he was. He tried visualizing it in his mind’s eye, seeing the magic in a shade of pure orange roughly simulating his shape. It looked contorted, being pressed from several directions at once in undulating waves. Waves…

Papyrus opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He took his time scouring along the painted surface, focusing in the angles he’d see the waves push his magic. There. Barely visible, small clear devices planted several feet apart from each other in the crevices of the ceiling. Did they really think he wouldn’t find them? For as much as they were trying, humans really didn’t understand magic at all. Creating a large bone construct would be impossible right now, as well as unnecessary. Perhaps he could make something smaller, though. Lowering his hand down to his side so the camera couldn’t see, he concentrated, molding the magic in his hand. The resulting bone construct was short and thin, barely the width of a toothpick, and sharp as a needle. It hovered in his hand, waiting patiently, though its form wavered as another of the devices sent another wave at him. He would be agreeable, but he would not have his magic silenced. That was a line he would not allow them to cross.

Not wasting any more time, Papyrus, directed the tiny projectile at one of the devices, shoving down a smile when he heard a tiny electrical crackle. Five more projectiles found their homes in tiny plastic devices, and he sighed in relief when he no longer felt like he was being choked. He relaxed against the wall.

Now to wait for them to come get him.

* * *

 Sans appeared in the center of his living room late in the evening, doing his best to control the nearly overwhelming mix of frustration and fury. How dare they? How _dare_ they? They _knew_ what Papyrus was probably going through, knew that the police would take their sweet fucking time, but they still wanted to wait to go through the proper channels? Who gave a rat’s ass about their reputation at this point? Who cared about the image of the monster race? They were experimenting on and killing monsters in a place that Sans could probably port to within seconds, but no, they wanted to stop and smell the fucking golden flowers and potentially let their subjects and his goddamn mate die. Oh, they’d done their best to placate him, feeding him stupid little promises of “we’ll get him and anyone else they have, sans” and “once it’s done, everyone will know how detestable these people are” and other empty words that were supposed to keep him from strangling the address out of them, but it was useless effort. At least Undyne had protested, siding with Sans and wanting to immediately go save her best friend, but she still deferred to the king and refused to tell him what she knew. He’d left before he could start flinging magic around and now paced in his house, breathing hard and running his hands over his skull.

   “ ** _goddamn it_**!” he roared, and a nearby pot flew into the wall, shattering into thousands of pieces. He stared at the still-magic-touched shards, his breaths slowing as he walked over to the mess. Kneeling down, he picked up one of the white flowers that lay in the dirt. It looked wilted, and Sans remembered that Papyrus had been rather sad that this one had been slowly dying. He had figured that Sans would love them, because the name reminded him of stars. He had. He flipped through his mental textbook on flowers, having studied meanings after Papyrus had gotten that blue and white bouquet.

White Cosmos.

Peace.

He began to laugh harshly at the irony, the sound as cold as the steel of a knife. His eyelights were absent and the flower in his hand was crushed as his fingers curled into a tight fist. Several moments were spent there as he attempted to get his laughter under control, his hands unclenching once he no longer felt the need to scream.

   “we’ll have our peace, papyrus. we deserve at least this much.”

Getting to his feet, he moved to the kitchen and pulled out a large mixing bowl. It wasn’t the best substitute, but it’d have to do until Papyrus could buy another pot on his own. With as much gentleness as he could muster, he gathered the dirt and flowers together and transferred them with his magic to the bowl. Not his best work, he thought as he stared at the lopsided flowers. Then again, using blue magic to pick up something as fine as soil was asking a bit much, even of him. He was jolted out of his thoughts when his pocket buzzed. Flipping it open, he saw a text message.

   _hey, i’m sorry that things happened the way they did. i didn’t think they were going to wait for the police!_

_*don’t worry bout it. i was a lil steamed at the thought, but i’m cool now._

_are you sure? you kind of looked like you were going to snap someone’s neck._

_*positive. just had to get out of there before i said somethin i’d regret._

_oh. :( well, if you ever need to talk, i’m here!_

_*sure thing. thanks, kid. just wanna spend some time alone, though._

With that, he tucked the phone back into his pocket and began walking up the stairs. As he reached for the handle to his door, his phone buzzed again. Sighing to himself, he flipped it open and prepared to tell John to seriously bug off, but froze as he stared the screen, his hands shaking.

Incoming call.

Papyrus.

He’d never slammed down on the “answer call” button faster in his life.

   “h-hello?”

   “I heard you’re running like a headless chicken looking for your brother.”

The voice was rough and deep, not exactly the voice he was expecting of the scientist he was going to tear limb from limb. His own voice immediately dipped into a low growl.

   “ **w h e r e  i s  h e**?”

The man on the other line sounded unruffled when he responded.

   “Safe. For now. Turn yourself in, and your lover will remain alive.”

Sans felt cold wash through his bones. They knew?

   “The doctor has been pushing X-22 very hard. Already it is showing weakness. If he had two subjects, surely he wouldn’t focus so much on one?”

So this wasn’t the scientist himself, but a lackey. His jaw felt like it was going to fracture, he was clenching it so hard.

   “…what do i need to do?”

   “Be at 3315 Middaugh in 5 minutes. Tell no one.”

The line abruptly went dead. Sans slowly tucked the phone into his pocket, his expression thoughtful. He could work this to his advantage. He’d agree to go with them, get inside the compound, find where Papyrus was, then port them back to safety. Then Toriel and Asgore could do their “official” procedure and take months to get it done for all he cared. Papyrus would be safe. But no, he scolded himself. Papyrus would want to save everyone in there. It wouldn’t be right to his brother to be the only one taken out of that cesspit. Still. It could work. It would work, if he had anything to say about it.

His decision made, he mentally calculated where Middaugh was and ported as close as he could, then began porting as far as he could see, barely taking note of the buildings and humans he was passing by. A few moments later, he stood in front of a plain two-story building, so plain in fact that most people would barely spare it a glance. A man in a black guardsman uniform stood in front of the doors, apparently waiting for him. This must have been the one that had called, using Papyrus’s phone. Sure enough, the small silver device was clutched in the man’s hand. Sans gave him a once-over, assessing. The human stood with the air of a veteran, his expression seemingly set in a permanent scowl and his black hair cut close to his scalp. In his other hand, he held a strip of cloth. He held it up.

   “You are to wear this.”

   “headbands aren’t my thing, flattered, though.”

The human said nothing, still holding the headband out.

   “tough crowd.”

With an easy air, Sans took the blindfold from the human and made a show of laying it across his eyesockets and tying it behind his head. He held his hands out in a gesture that said ‘well?’.

   “alright, got the thing on. now what do we—”

He felt a sharp sting in the back of his neck between two of his vertebrae and ported several feet away on instinct, his hands slapping away whatever had been shoved into his neck. Cold steel. Glass. Syringe.

   “what the hell did you do?”

   “Your cooperation is easier this way.”

   “but i was already cooper…cooperating..”

Sans felt his movements growing sluggish and tried fighting whatever was moving through his bones and getting absorbed by his magic.

   “d…damn it…”

He felt an arm wrap around him from behind and lift him, moving him as if he were a sack of potatoes. His magic flared one last time and he felt a little jolt of satisfaction when he heard the human holding him hiss in pain somewhere in the distance.

   “how ya…like them…apples…” he tried chuckling but it came out only as a long exhalation of air. As his consciousness faded, he wondered if perhaps he’d have a harder time than he thought.

* * *

 Papyrus stood in the cage, looking at the bars apprehensively.

   “I DON’T LIKE THIS.”

   “You don’t have to like it.”

Dr. Hunter shoved his hands into his coat pockets, frowning in clear disapproval.

   “I saw what you did to my prototypes when we retrieved you. You didn’t honestly think you’d get away with that, did you?”

Papyrus looked down and off to the side. His peripheral vision caught a flash of white against the dull gray of the equipment around them. His jacket! His cloak! He wanted to immediately demand them, but the human seemed to have been running low on patience, being shorter than usual with him. Movement grabbed his attention again and he saw the guard called Marson walking into the room carrying something in one arm. He didn’t have a very clear view of it because of Dr. Hunter’s position.

   “X-21 has been retrieved.”

X-21? Wait, if he was X-22…

Dr. Hunter shifted, allowing Papyrus to see what Marson was carrying. Papyrus felt his soul freeze in his chest.

   “Good. When the sedative wears off, we can begin testing immediately.”

The scientist almost jumped when the caged skeleton began screaming.

   “NO, DON’T HURT HIM! HE ONLY HAS 1 HP! PLEASE! YOU PROMISED YOU’D LEAVE HIM ALONE!”

He narrowed his eyes when he heard a term he was unfamiliar with.

   “HP. Explain.”

Papyrus ignored him.

   “NO! Y-YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED!!” he shrieked.

He grasped at the bars of his cage and cried out as electricity raced through his bones. The scientist watched as the skeleton released the bars and crumpled to the floor, his limbs twitching in pain. Curiously, he observed that the creature’s eyes never left the limp body of its ‘brother’, despite its own apparent agony.

   “YOU…PROMISED…” Papyrus whispered brokenly.

   “I do not honor promises to experiments.” The man replied with an even tone.

With that, he turned away from Papyrus, ignoring his pathetic snivelling and made a dismissive motion to Marson.

   “Take X-21 to the lower labs. I will be there shortly.”

There was a grunt of assent and Marson left the room. Dr. Hunter spared Papyrus one last glance before moving over one of the younger guards and looking him directly in the eyes. Hopefully the monster had learned its place.

   “Ignore whatever it says. If it tries anything, kill it.”

The guard nodded twice and the scientist turned away to follow down the path Marson took.

* * *

He’d never felt quite this bad before. There were too many emotions flowing at once. Grief. Panic. Shock. Pain. He could sense Sans even from wherever he was. It was so close, practically within arm’s reach. He dropped his defenses, blowing the connection between them open completely in desperation. His soul called out to its other half, begging it to respond. Sans needed to be okay. He clutched at his chest, feeling his soul pulse beneath his clawed fingers. It was with both a sense of relief and of wonder when he felt Sans’s soul pulse in response.  

Briefly satisfied, he slipped deep into himself, huddling in the middle of the cage. Everything he’d gone through in the last 24 hours was for nothing. Sans was here, in so much more danger than he could ever be. The longer he thought about it, the more his emotions drained away and were replaced with something else. Something he could vaguely remember feeling once upon a time. Rage. Pure, undiluted fury. It poured through his bones like magma, strengthening them and filling his soul, making it as hot as the core of a star. He raised his head, his right eye lighting up the color of purest flame.

The humans had reneged on their part of the deal, had lied to him. They were going to hurt his brother. His vision was swallowed in blackness as he gave in to the anger. Faintly, he heard humming.

* * *

 Sans was floating in the darkness, his eyes closed. It had been a while since he had been so relaxed. Knowing his luck, Papyrus would probably be tearing him out of his nap soon, yelling at him about work or some such. Sure enough, he heard a soft call of his name.

   “five more minutes, paps.”

His name was repeated, this time with a hint of humor.

   “c’mon bro. let me just stay in today.”

There was an amused chuckle, deep and smooth.

   “Now we both know that at this point, Papyrus would have carried you downstairs himself.”

Sans no longer felt so relaxed. The voice spoke again.

   “Open your eyes now.”

He did so and felt his soul pulse in his chest when he focused on the being in front of him.

   “Hello, Sans.”

   “…gaster?”


	17. Take a Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gaster acts as a shameless deus ex machina or  
> In which one human's work is unraveled by the fury of three skeletons

Sans quickly reoriented himself so that he was standing, or at least close to it. The darkness around him didn’t seem to have a true floor or a true…anything, really. The monster across from him seemed to smile.

   “Yes.”

He stared at Gaster a moment longer before he was wrapping his arms around the monster and burying his face in his chest.

   “oh my god…oh my god…”

It took a few moments, but Gaster’s hands settled gently across the top of Sans’s back, patting lightly.

   “It’s okay, my boy. I am here.”

Sans took in harsh, gasping breaths as he attempted to control his urge to cry. Gaster’s hands pressed down a little, and Sans gave a full-body shudder, his jaw clenching.

   “If you need to cry, Sans, please do so. You have no need to restrain yourself around me.”

He shook his head, taking a deep breath and pulling out of Gaster’s hold. He took in the other monster’s appearance and catalogued everything he saw. It was a far cry from what Sans remembered. The Gaster in his memories had stood tall and proud, his voice filled with conviction and, at times, alternating between humor and condescension. This Gaster was none of those things, his form still tall but devoid of energy and oddly...misty. Tendrils of a thick black smoke curled off his shoulders and out of the crack over his right eye. His expression was almost listless, his voice low and calm.

   “how are you here? better yet, where am i? is this the void?”

Gaster chuckled under his breath.

   “No. This is your unconscious mind. I am here courtesy of your brother.”

Sans’s brow ridges scrunched together in confusion.

   “huh?”

   “He knows you are in the labs. The humans paraded you in front of him in an effort to break his spirit. In his desperation to know that you were alive, he opened your connection all the way and reached out to you with his soul. Your Soul Resonance has temporarily allowed me a slightly more…solid…existence. You both are, after all, a part of me.”

The tall monster hummed softly to himself, his brows scrunching together in what seemed like concentration.

   “I am currently attempting to pacify him, but…it does not seem to be working as effectively as I would have hoped.”

Pacify?

   “is…is paps okay?”

The thin rings of white that composed Gaster’s ‘eyes’ focused on him, slight concern on his face.

   “He is…very, very angry. If I fail to get through to him, he will run the risk of killing everyone around him.”

Sans glared at the floor, his arms crossing over his chest.

   “let him. he deserves to get some payback.”

   “Sans.”             

   “what?” he snapped, looking up at Gaster. His creator looked reprimanding, his head tilting in a way that clearly expressed disapproval at his words. “you don’t know what they’ve done to him!”

Gaster’s eyes narrowed, his expression becoming hard.

   “Yes, I do. And there is nothing I’d like more than to wipe every single one of these cretins from existence.”

His features softened, becoming sad.

   “But how do you think Papyrus would feel once his mind clears of the rage clouding it? The lives of the humans he has killed would hang over him like a shroud. I do not want their deaths on his conscience.”

Sans said nothing to that, conceding the point, but then he felt his nonexistent stomach drop as he picked up on something Gaster had said.

   “wait, if you know about the connection…”

   “I do not condemn you, Sans. In fact, a part of me always knew it would be this way. The synchronous and instinctive way you two moved together from the time Papyrus first opened his eyes was always something that fascinated me.”

Sans sighed softly to himself, feeling a quick surge of relief, which fled as soon as he focused on something else Gaster had said.

   “…what do mean ‘you do’? you’ve seen us?”

   “The Void is kind enough to provide me with limited windows to view all realities, all timelines. There are not many things that I am not privy to.”

   “so you saw paps grow up?”

   “Parts of it, yes.”

   “you saw the resets?”

Gaster’s features darkened for a split second.

   “…yes.”

   “you saw us go free.”

   “Yes.”

Sans paused, then turned bright blue.

   “…you saw all the times we…”

Gaster recoiled slightly, his mouth turning down in distaste.

   “Stars above, no. Sans, give me a touch more credit, please.”

The shorter monster chuckled slightly, the blush on his cheekbones dying down some. Gaster smiled at the sound. There was something special about hearing a laugh in person versus what essentially counted as distorted windows to just one of countless realities. He watched quietly as Sans’s smile died down and his blush faded away. He knew what was coming. Of course he did. It was difficult not to know, seeing things the way he did. Granted, he would have been able to tell even without the Void showing him. It was broadcast in the way Sans fidgeted, his hands digging deep into his pockets as he shifted his stance from foot to foot.

   “you…you saw when i tried fixing the machine.”

   “I did.”

   “and you saw when i tried staying longer in the void.”

Gaster sighed softly, his expression becoming remorseful.

   “Yes.”

He didn’t want to continue, but Sans deserved the truth at least.

   “I was the one that pushed you out.”

Silence.

   “…what?”

“I didn’t want to be found.”

Sans’s features twisted in a snarl and he surged forward, planting his hands on Gaster’s chest and pushing.

“you fucking heartless bastard. _i practically killed myself trying to get you back_!!”

Gaster’s expression never changed, still soft and sad, understanding. Sans had never wanted to punch somebody more in his life.

“And what would you have done had you found me? You had no conceivable way of bringing me back. It was for the best.”

Sans was silent, still feeling betrayed somewhere deep inside. Gaster continued, his gaze focusing somewhere near the level of Sans’s feet.

“Sans, I will not ask you to forgive me. That would be unfair. But I will ask that you allow me to work by your side one more time.”

“…what?” Sans felt like a broken record at this point.

Gaster’s eyesockets narrowed, his mouth pulling down into a frown. The smoke around him swirled in agitation.

   “You are thoroughly incapacitated in the waking world by a drug created from the blood and magic of a shyren mixed with the humans’ manufactured chemicals. I can attempt to purge it from your body and get you moving again before this human gets his hands on you. We _must_ find Papyrus before he does something he will not be able to take back.”

Sans seemed to mull it over for a moment before nodding slowly.

   “yeah, alright.”

   “Come to think of it, the attempt may not be entirely successful, so I am going to protect you until you are both safe. This is non-negotiable.”

Oh, Sans wanted to protest, but what could he say? He would essentially be at Gaster’s mercy; well, at everyone’s mercy, if he was honest with himself. Sans scrutinized Gaster again. Despite his height and broad, sloping shoulders, Gaster gave off an air of frailty that Sans couldn’t help but be wary of. Gaster seemed to know what he was thinking and huffed softly to himself.

   “Surely you are not doubting me?”

   “i dunno, doc. you sure you can do any sort of protectin’? and don’t call me shirley.”

The corners of Gaster’s mouth tilted up wryly, his hands lifting up by his sides. Sans was pretty sure his vision was screwing with him when he saw Gaster’s form waver and the air around him pulse a deep purple.

   “I don’t think you remember what I was capable of, Sans. And you certainly do not know what I am capable of now.”

Something like apprehension flitted through Sans as he remembered Gaster’s tornado experiment. After it had gone awry and he and his brother had nearly gotten hurt by getting too close, Gaster had casually mentioned slaughtering humans as a warning about what his magic could have done to them. Suddenly Gaster didn’t seem all that harmless anymore.

   “…okay.”

Gaster began walking forward and Sans noticed that as he moved, the hem of his labcoat and his legs from the knee down seemed to become hazy. The more Sans focused, the more he realized that they seemed to be shrouded in the same dense black smoke that emanated from his shoulders. He wanted to ask about it, but Gaster was already standing directly in front of him, his hands slightly lifted. Sans stared at them, the more childish part of him wanting to touch the holes cut into the monster’s palms.

   “Sans, I am going to have to put my hands on you to properly neutralize the drug. Is that alright?”

Screw walking on eggshells. His brother’s well-being was at stake. He grabbed at Gaster’s wrists and pulled them forward, nodding slightly when Gaster’s hands landed on his chest.

   “do what you gotta do, doc.”

Gaster began to move his hands toward Sans’s shoulders, but paused when he felt Sans’s right hand clasp his. Sans didn’t look happy, but he had a determined set to his mouth that Gaster couldn’t help but be proud of. What a brave soul.

   “i’m not happy with you. at all. but…you’re you. despite everything…i trust you.”

Gods, he wanted to hug Sans right now. Instead, he moved his hands to rest firmly on the shorter monster’s shoulders. Sans’s mouth tilted up on one side with a vicious smile.

   “let’s go find my brother, g.”

Gaster’s hands pulsed with purple energy in response.

 

* * *

 

Obstacles. Many obstacles. Too many obstacles between him and his soulmate. Papyrus kept his eye trained on the human standing near the door, watching as it nervously shifted foot to foot. The human could see his eye, he knew. He could practically smell the fear coming off of it.

_‘Papyrus.’_

A voice. Whose voice?

_‘Listen to me, please.’_

It seemed familiar.

_‘I know you are angry. You have every right to be. But you need to control it.’_

He’d never felt more in control in his life.

_‘No, Papyrus. Please, my boy. You are going to do something you’ll regret at this rate.’_

There was nothing he could do that he’d regret right now. He pushed the voice back forcefully until it was nothing but an irritating buzz in the back of his head. Who was that, anyway? The familiarity of the voice was borderline aggravating, but he pushed that back, too. No time to wonder about it right now. He considered the human again. It was already jumpy and had orders to shoot him if he made any rash moves. This particular one would require a...finer touch. Quickly calculating angles and the human’s line of sight, he conjured a needle-like bone like the ones he’d used to disable the magic dampeners. He covered the tiny construct in blue magic and lined up his shot. He wasn’t entirely sure what a localized injection of his magic would do to the human’s body, but he was far past caring at this point. Sans needed him.

He watched the construct lodge itself in the human’s throat at the carotid artery and waited silently to see what his idea would yield. The human’s hands seized, coming up to slap at its neck in panic, then it stumbled and fell to its knees as the magic quickly worked itself through its body. It looked like the human was trying to say something, but Papyrus couldn’t be bothered to try and figure out what it was trying to say. Instead, he stared it down, still glaring, as its motor functions gave out. So he was right, then. The internal application of his magic versus gripping a soul with it worked as a paralyzing agent.

Fear was written all over the human’s face as Papyrus brought himself to his feet, but he was no longer paying attention. The target was neutralized. He frowned as he reached out a hand toward one of the bars holding him captive. Captive. Papyrus’s face scrunched in distaste at the word. His outstretched hand turned palm-down and magic raced across the air beneath it.

Not for long.

 

* * *

 

Allison Peters, head of security, idly drummed her hands against the console she spent most of her waking hours in front of, bored out of her damn mind. She’d seen just about everything since taking this job: the cruel experiments, the breakdowns of the monsters affected, the deaths. It had been terrible at first, but she had a family of her own to feed, and she was pretty sure the last scientist that had tried escaping the horrors had gotten “silenced”. That wasn’t a risk she was willing to take. So instead she pretended it was a macabre make-believe show that she was forced to watch…under threat of death.

She had been interested very briefly when she started seeing a well-dressed skeleton walk around—hah, a _skeleton_!—but had quickly lost interest once the experiments had begun all over again. The poor thing was trying to hold on to some sense of dignity, if the way it carried itself was any indication. It was a very proud creature, she could tell. She’d show it some respect by not watching when it would start to cry or when it would become afraid. It was the best she could do, not wanting to invade its privacy when it was being so unusually compliant compared to some of the other monsters she’d seen.

So it was with some surprise when she noticed heightened activity in the room the skeleton was kept in. Something resembling dread sank in her gut when she saw the guard slap at his neck and fall to his knees, panic all over his face.

Crap.

There was some movement in the cage, a burst of light, and nothing for a moment. Then an arc of orange made the bars explode outward in pieces, causing her to nearly fall over in her chair with a yelp. When she righted herself, her heart racing, she took another look at the screen and saw the skeleton walking out of the ruined cage, a rather terrifying-looking…spear?...in its right hand. The sharp tail end of the spear was still glowing orange and the head’s (literally—it looked like a mix between a dragon and dog skull) eyes were glowing blue. The skeleton’s grip on the spear tightened and he began walking toward the guard.

Double crap.

She stood up and began running towards the room the skeleton was kept in and reached for her radio, pulling it up to her mouth and hitting the switch to talk.

   “We have a break in 1B, Observation Room 3. I need a team of personnel to contain the problem ASAP.”

There was a hiss and a loud, high-pitched chirp.

   “What?” Oh, that was the doctor. “Marson, deal with it personally. Send some of your men to watch over X-21. Chances are X-22 will search for its brother.”

   “10-4.”

As she skidded to a stop at the observation room’s door, it slid open to reveal the skeleton standing in the doorway, now clad in its complete outfit. Her fight-or-flight instincts were screaming at her to run, but she stood frozen in place, panic making her limbs freeze. Good god, it was a lot taller than the cameras implied. The glowing orange eye in its right socket burned into her.

She was so screwed.

   “W-wait…you can’t…you can’t leave!”

For a good moment, it simply stood there, staring her down and making her stomach do its best impression of a cricket playing hopscotch. The skeleton leaned down and put its face a good foot away from hers.

   “I DON’T RECALL ASKING YOUR OPINION.” It said in a surprisingly masculine voice.

A sharp jolt of pain stole her breath and she looked down to find the skeleton’s left fist planted firmly against her diaphragm. She fell against the ground when he moved away, promptly dismissing her. The last thing she remembered was his white-clad legs walking away and the dog-like skull on the back of his cloak laughing at her.

* * *

Stars above, Sans ached. A part of him didn’t want to open his eyes because _wow_ was he tired, but his mind quickly reminded him of where he was and why he was waking up to begin with.

   “Quickly, Sans. Papyrus is on the move.”

Right. Sans groaned softly as he sat up, his eyesockets cracking open. His eyelights flickered slightly before staying solid. A wave of dizziness rushed through him and he wavered in place, exhaling deeply as he tried to get the world to stop moving beneath him.

   “this…might be a bit more difficult than we bargained for, g.”

   “I will aid you. But we should begin moving as soon as you are stable.”

When world-tilting had dropped down to a mild buzz, Sans looked down and noticed the torn bindings attached to the table he was currently sat on. His eyelights flickered over to Gaster, who was hovering near him. The monster seemed to be giving off far more shadowy mist now that he was in the waking world. He hadn’t expected Gaster to follow him out. Said monster looked down at him, shrugging lightly.

   “They were impeding your escape.”

   “i never did like being _tied down_.”

Gaster chuckled, the sound oddly echo-y.

   “Don’t let Papyrus hear you say that. He’d be heartbroken.”

Sans blushed lightly, then frowned as he picked up on his connection to Papyrus. He’d never been able to feel Papyrus’s emotions this clearly before and he felt somewhat breathless at the intensity of Papyrus’s anger, his sense of betrayal, his pain.

_‘paps…’_

He got no response. There was a gentle pressure on his shoulder and he turned his head to see Gaster’s hand there.

   “He will not hear you, Sans. We must reach him. I believe you will be the key to snapping him out of his rage. He is, after all, looking for you.”

   “yeah you’re right. so where is he?”

There was a burst of noise above them, something that sounded like splintering wood and many pairs of feet thumping against the ground. Sans slid off the table, his eyelights staying trained on the ceiling as if he’d be able to see through it. He froze and felt his magic surge to life when he heard muffled shouts followed by what sounded like gunfire. His left eye flared with blue.

   “papyrus…!”

Sans was running before he even realized it, heading toward the only exit in the room. A hand grabbed at his elbow and he turned, a snarl building in his chest.

   “what do you think you’re—!”

The look Gaster gave him was stern.

   “You were about to leap before you looked. Stay here a moment.”

He watched incredulously as Gaster glided out the door, his footsteps completely silent. Several clicks reached him when Gaster settled in the middle of the hallway. The shadows near the tall monster’s shoulders twitched.

   “What the fuck?”

   “Who are… _what_ are you?”

Gaster made a short humming noise before his mouth stretched open in an unnerving empty smile and his eyes lit up in violet.

   “I am a very upset father.”

The shadows around Gaster darkened and he seemed to become far less solid than before, his entire lower half becoming engulfed by the black smoke. A loud ‘boom’ made plaster fall from the ceiling and Gaster frowned lightly.

   “It seems we are running out of time.”

Gaster shifted minutely a split second before the first shot rang out, then again, avoiding another. Sans normally prided himself on his ability to dodge, but this…this was extraordinary, completely beyond his skill. A violet bone surrounded in black smoke materialized near Gaster’s left shoulder and it shot out at a speed that Sans could barely follow. He heard a cry of pain and the thud of something small. One of the weapons, probably. The remaining human quickly unloaded his magazine in a desperate attempt to take Gaster down, but the monster simply seemed to walk forward, moving out of the way of the projectiles before they fired. Curiously, Sans poked his head out the door to watch as Gaster closed in on the now-beyond-frightened human.

   “Do you understand the nature of the Void?”

In a final bid to hurt Gaster in some way, the human swung out his fist, but Gaster was stepping back as soon as the man’s arm twitched. The glowing violet of Gaster’s eyes winked out of existence.

   “I am witness to all realities.”

Tendrils of smoke wrapped around the man’s legs, working its way up until it wrapped around his throat, squeezing as if it were solid.

   “There is nothing you can do…” and then Gaster was there in the man's face, his hollow sockets and smiling mouth filling the human’s vision, “that I have not already seen.”

Hands scrabbled against the constricting mist, his fingers passing straight through. Any resistance gradually bled out of his limbs, and he stared up into Gaster’s empty eyes as he began losing consciousness.

Gaster guided the body to the ground and crouched down to place two fingers against the downed human’s neck to make sure he was still alive. He turned to face the disarmed human, who was clutching at his bleeding hand.

   “You will not try to resist, I hope?”

The human nodded furiously, his back attempting to press further into the wall. Satisfied, Gaster stood and made a motion toward Sans.

   “It is safe, Sans. Let’s go. The noise has died down upstairs.”

The room shook again when he heard a sound that he was very familiar with, followed by a loud crash. Sans looked over at Gaster in alarm.

   “that was…”

Gaster’s expression was grim.

   “We should hurry.”

They sped past the guards and toward the end of the hallway where the stairs loomed. In a burst of energy, Sans took two steps at a time, stumbling occasionally as his vision swam. His soul thumped hard in his chest. He was so close to Papyrus. His mate. His everything.

He blanched when he reached the top of the flight, his magic swirling in agitation. The hall was a mess. Every single door had been sliced open and the pieces scattered every which way. Bones were embedded in the ceiling, in the walls, and lay shattered on the ground. Bodies lay strewn everywhere, five men and one woman. The single conscious human—the one that had drugged Sans—sat crumpled against the wall, deep cracks and scorch marks above his head. There, standing in front of that human, was Papyrus, his suit covered in dust and wood splinters. A wicked-looking spear of bone was clasped in his hand and poised to strike at the prone figure. Sans felt his soul clench at the sight of the miniaturized Gaster Blaster attached to the end behind Papyrus’s grip.

   “papyrus!”

Papyrus froze and it felt like the whole world stopped for a moment. With aching slowness, he stiffly turned to face Sans, his sockets wide and his eye glowing bright orange. Sans tried not to notice the spray of blood across his brother’s chest. Papyrus’s voice cracked when he spoke.

   “…SANS..?”

   “yeah…it’s me, bro. it’s okay. you can stop now.”

He still seemed oddly wooden when he began taking steps toward Sans, but it smoothed out and became a brisk walk the longer his eyes stayed on his brother. He dropped his spear halfway, his arms raising in a silent demand and his expression becoming more animated, more horrified. Sans sprinted forward, his expression a mixture of pain and relief as he threw himself at his brother, his arms coming up to wrap around his neck. Papyrus wrapped one arm around his back and the other came up to clasp the back of his skull, his own coming down to bury itself in Sans’s shoulder.

   “SANS…SANS…SANS…” he chanted lowly with a croak, his breath catching and his shoulders shaking with restrained sobs.

   “i got you, paps. i got you. we’re gonna go home, okay?”

A cough from behind Papyrus made the taller skeleton freeze, his hands tightening on Sans.

   “You’re not…going anywhere…”

Sans felt more than saw Gaster move to stand in front of them.

   “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you are in any position to stop us.”

Papyrus pulled away from Sans and turned to face Marson, but kept one hand on his shoulder, refusing to break contact. He spared Gaster a curious glance.

   “WERE YOU THE ONE THAT SPOKE TO ME BEFORE?”

Gaster nodded, smiling slightly.

   “Indeed, Papyrus.”

Something clicked.

   “…DAD?”

   “Yes. As much I would like for us to chat, our exchange of pleasantries will have to wait until we have wrapped up our business here.”

Papyrus nodded, his expression becoming flat as he looked over at Marson who was attempting to stand. A quick pulse of magic had the spear rematerializing in his hand. Sans shivered slightly at the steel in his voice.

   “WHERE IS DR. HUNTER?”

Marson said nothing as he continued to try to get to his feet. Gaster inclined his head toward his boys, his expression contemplative.

   “you could always begin breaking his fingers if he refuses to talk. i’m sure that’d make him sing like a bird.”

Gaster ‘tsk’ed in disapproval and Sans waited for the reprimand to come from Papyrus. It never did. He...seemed to be seriously contemplating it. Sans lifted his hand to clasp the one Papyrus had on his shoulder, worry pulsing through his body.

   “hey…i was joking.”

Papyrus blinked.

   “AH…YES, OF COURSE.”

The brothers and Marson both started when the radio at his hip crackled. Gaster smiled to himself.

   “Marson, have you dealt with X-22 yet? The commotion has made the other subjects more animated than usual and they are becoming difficult to control. If you have any spare men, send them to 2F. Subject D-1840 has already hugged two guards and an intern into unconsciousness. Procuring another one would be…difficult…if I were forced to kill it.”

   “Ah. Well, I suppose we know where we are going, then.”

Gaster looked over at Sans, raising a brow.

   “Sans, if you would destroy all the radios, please. I would rather not have this man here warn the good doctor of our arrival.”

Sans’s hand and eye flared blue.

   “you got it, doc.”

They could tell that Marson was trying not to show his surprise and apprehension at seeing six radios, including his own, hovering in the air covered in blue. Nonetheless, he flinched when the walkie-talkies flew into the walls, several getting lodged into the plaster.

   “Well, then. That should do it. We should be on our way, you two.”

Sans and Gaster paused mid-turn when Papyrus moved forward instead of back, grabbing Marson by the front of his uniform and pulling him closer. The human squirmed in his grip, leaning his head back and frowning.

   “I HAVE BEATEN YOU, HUMAN. HAVE THE GRACE TO STAND DOWN AND NOT FOLLOW US.”

And then Papyrus let him go, turning to follow his mate and father. Gaster looked at the bodies around him as they walked and smiled softly.

   “They are all alive. Even in your deepest rage, you wouldn’t land a killing blow. I am proud of you, Papyrus.”

The smile Papyrus gave him was weak.

   “I ALMOST DID. SANS STOPPED ME BEFORE I COULD.”

Sans reached out and squeezed Papyrus’s left hand.

   “i’m glad.”

His eyelights flickered over to the spear that Papyrus was still clutching tightly.

   “bro, that weapon…”

Papyrus sighed softly as they began taking the stairs to the next floor.

   “I…CREATED IT A LONG TIME AGO. WHEN I LOST YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME.”

Sans noticed that he was refusing to make eye contact.

   “IT WAS…SOMETHING TO REMEMBER YOU BY.”

   “paps…”

   “IT’S BEAUTIFUL, ISN’T IT?”

He held the spear up slightly and Sans took in the finer details, making special note of the blue tinges to the spiky processes just beneath the blaster’s head and the ends of its jaws. The eyes flickered from blue to orange every few seconds.

   “JUST LIKE YOU.”

Sans blushed, his free hand coming up to scratch at the back of his skull.

   “pap, cmon the doc is standing right there…”

   “AM I NOT ALLOWED TO COMPLIMENT YOU IN FRONT OF DAD?”

   “I see no issue with it. You two complimented each other all the time in your youth, in addition to being very physically affectionate. There is no difference in doing it now with a slightly different connotation.”

   “OH, YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP?”

   “Of course I do, Papyrus. It had always been a theory of mine that you two would become close like this. I am fully supportive of it.”

   “NYEH HEH, I’M GLAD.”

Papyrus paused at the intersection of the floor, his eyesockets roving from door to door. The shyren from yesterday hovered in his mind’s eye, and his fists tightened around his spear.

   “WE ARE NOT LEAVING ANYONE BEHIND, I HOPE YOU KNOW.”

   “i know. let’s deal with the head honcho of this place, and _then_ we can bust all these guys outta here.”

   “RIGHT.”

A small group of humans, two of which Papyrus remembered casually discussing his impending death, rounded the corner they were approaching and froze at the sight of them. Gaster held up pacifying hands.

   “I advise you not to panic. If you attempt to raise an alarm, I will have no choice but to detain and silence you. Are we understood?”

They all nodded hastily, their faces devoid of color as they took in the frightening monster that seemed to absorb the light around it. As the three monsters moved to pass them by, Papyrus looked at the two humans that he recognized and frowned lightly.

   “YOU SHOULD WATCH THE THINGS YOU TALK ABOUT WHEN OTHERS ARE NEAR. SOME OF US HAVE RATHER GOOD HEARING.”

One of the two had tears welling up in their eyes and Papyrus heard Sans make a “tch” noise behind him.

   “paps, let’s go. the doc won’t wait forever.”

Nodding slightly, Papyrus turned away from the humans, taking the lead and following the map in his head toward the staircase that led to the second floor. There was no chatter between them this time as they took the stairs, both Sans and Papyrus thinking of the impending confrontation. It was slightly noisier on the second floor, many voices ringing out from behind closed doors, asking questions. What was going on? Did something happen? Do we get to go home? A group of guards scurrying from room to room stopped when they caught sight of the three monsters, their hands automatically going toward their weapons.

   “Don’t take a step closer!” cried the guard near the front. “Any sudden moves and we’ll shoot!”

The three monsters all shared glances with each other before the air above their heads shifted. The guards all blanched when three large skulls appeared above the monsters, one dog skull with horns, one lion skull, and one ram skull, all with glowing eyes. A low but steady hum filled the air. Gaster smiled lightly.

   “I wonder. Who do you think will win in this little standoff of ours?”

One guard standing in the rear, who was shaking violently, raised his gun, his finger wrapping around the trigger.

   “nah ah.”

With a snap of Sans’s fingers, all of the handguns became lined in blue and thrown far behind them.

   “and here i was thinkin’ we could just scare ya out of a confrontation. but if ya want to have a bad time, who am i to refuse?”

The hum of Sans’s blaster began to grow louder, magic pooling between its jaws, and Papyrus looked over at Sans in mild alarm. Gaster merely looked on, his expression neutral.

   “SANS…!”

With a frustrated sigh, Sans dismissed his blaster, the other two following suit, but Sans quickly wrapped the four humans in blue and flung them into the walls with concussive force. He said nothing as he watched them all fall to the ground, dazed.

   “SANS, WE DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT.”

Sans made a clicking noise.

   “what, you’re allowed to lay on the beatdowns, but i can’t?”

   “I WAS ANGRY, SANS. YOU KNOW THAT.”

   “i’m allowed to be angry, too, paps.”

Papyrus was silent for a moment, looking away in guilt.

   “…I KNOW, I’M SORRY.”

   “So I get to see your magic in action. You are clearly more versatile than X-22.”

Sans and Papyrus looked toward the end of the hallway in front of them where they found Dr. Hunter standing. Everything seemed to become quiet as they stared each other down. Hunter cast a mildly curious look toward Gaster.

   “…I have not seen you before.”

Gaster huffed lightly.

   “Allow me to introduce myself, then. I am Dr. W. D. Gaster, father of Sans and Papyrus.”

He began to move forward, his steps completely silent, the shadows around him writhing with anger that he refused to show on his face.

   “As a fellow scientist, I would normally commend you for your dogged pursuit of knowledge. It is a trait all good scientists must have. However.”

The shadows at his legs shot out and wrapped around Hunter’s limbs, pulling him down to his knees. The human’s expression was still calm, but sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead. Gaster glided behind him, his hands coming to rest on the man’s shoulders. He leaned down and spoke in a lower voice, his hands squeezing lightly.

   “You have hurt my sons. And that is something I simply.” The hands squeezed tighter. “Cannot.” Hunter felt his bones creak in protest. “Abide by.”

Unconsciously, Hunter found himself re-arranging the classification system in his head. This monster, if part of the same family as these two skeletons, gave them potential that he hadn’t previously considered. He refocused, his attention going to the two brothers that were walking up to him. The shorter one was glaring, but the tall one only seemed disappointed.

   “WHY?”

   “Why what?” he responded.

   “why have you done all of this? what were you after?”

Hunter snorted.

   “Do you not realize how useful your powers could be to humanity? If we could isolate and reproduce your abilities, your gravity manipulation, other monsters’ healing magic, and all the other things you monsters can do, it would revolutionize entire sections of human society. Medicine. Construction. So many fields that could benefit from your abilities that you keep to yourself.”

Sans crossed his arms over his chest.

   “and you couldn’t have just asked? you didn’t have to senselessly murder monsters.”

Hunter shook his head.

   “You don’t understand. I mean for ALL of humanity. Your race is limited and could perhaps help out this one city, but it is insufficient for what I want to accomplish.”

   “ASKING WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN APPROPRIATE, INSTEAD OF RESORTING TO KIDNAPPING.”

   “Our race will accomplish what it can. Rushing progress will only lead to failure, just as it has now.”

   “What?”

   “You have done this the wrong way. So, we will…how did you say it?”

The hands on Hunter’s shoulders squeezed again.

   “ _Remove your claws._ ”

Hunter felt himself freeze.

   “Your notes will be destroyed, your equipment dismantled. Every ‘subject’ here will go free. If I discover that you have begun this process again, your hands will be shattered beyond repair. If you still persist, you will discover how merciless the Void can be.”

The scientist began to struggle against his bonds, his face finally showing panic and anger.

   “No. No you can’t! This is important research!”

Sans and Papyrus looked at each other, then at Gaster as the shadows tightened around the agitated human.

   “You poor creature. Find a new avenue in your field. If you continue to work at it, you will receive the recognition you so desperately crave.”

Gaster looked up at the boys.

   “Sans, will you be alright going and taking care of the labs?”

   “it’ll be a pleasure to,” he said with a crooked smirk, but it faded as he looked over at Papyrus.

   “Papyrus, will you do the honor of releasing our residents?”

The tall skeleton hesitated, his hands rubbing together anxiously.

   “ACTUALLY…I’D LIKE TO GO WITH SANS. WE CAN TEAR DOWN THE EQUIPMENT TOGETHER AND THEN SET THE OTHERS FREE.”

Gaster nodded in acceptance, realizing that they probably wouldn’t want to be separated. He should have known that.

   “Of course.”

They turned away from Gaster and the human sank into himself, his shoulders and head dropping in defeat. Gaster entertained the thought of how disappointed he’d be if any of his experiments were stopped, considering the dubious nature of Sans’s and Papyrus’s creation. But he mentally shook his head, dismissing the idea. This was different, far too different. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a shred of pity for the human.

Oh well. He had chosen his path. It was now his responsibility to deal with the consequences. He closed his eyes as he stood there, feeling his physical form growing weaker as the Void called to him, demanding his return. There wasn’t much time left. But that was okay. His sons would be safe. They would be happy. And he had helped. It was more than he could have ever hoped for.

It would be okay.

It was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the chapter says, take a breath. One more to go. The last chapter of Firsts is giving me issues, so take this one instead. Firsts will come soon, and then our epilogue.


	18. Everything Will Be Alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things begin to pull themselves together or  
> In which the author makes things extra sappy AND sad.

 

Gaster watched with a pleased smile as his sons moved from door to door, having taken the master key from Dr. Hunter. From what the “windows” in his mind’s eye showed him, after the machinery and all data had been destroyed, they’d gone and put all of the unconscious humans in one room against the wall. At least they would be marginally more comfortable upon waking. Marson had disappeared. Perhaps he’d taken Papyrus’s words to heart.

He looked down at the boneless form of the doctor still wrapped in his shadows and felt his form waver. It was almost time.

Gaster beckoned the boys over when the last door had been opened, a moldsmal and a migosp slowly walking out. Papyrus was practically glued to Sans’s side, his eyesockets darting from side to side every few seconds, as if expecting someone to round the corner and steal his freedom all over again. That wary attitude was copied by the freed monsters in varying degrees of severity. It was saddening watching them; recovery would be a long and strenuous road…if possible. Papyrus’s expression lightened when he got near Gaster.

   “IT IS GOOD TO FINALLY MEET YOU, FATHER,” he said softly.

   “Yes, although it is a shame we are barely meeting again after all this time and in a time where it can hardly be appreciated at that.” Gaster paused, his eyelights drifting downward and focusing on the fine hair on the crown of his captive’s skull. “And…it is a shame that I will be leaving again so soon.”

   “what do you mean?” Sans questioned, his feet coming into Gaster’s line of sight.

   “The Void calls. My presence here was temporary, at best—a herculean effort from all of our souls to allow me a brief window of time in the physical plane. Surely you felt the strain? An unusually strong sense of fatigue, perhaps?”

   “kinda figured that was the stress talkin’, g. it hasn’t exactly been an easy time.”

   “Ah, yes, that is true. I have forgotten what exhaustion feels like.”

   “must be nice,” Sans muttered.

   “SANS,” came the low reprimand.

The three of them said nothing for a moment.

   “are ya sure you can’t stay?”

Gaster sighed, his form sagging slightly from its previously rigid posture.

   “If only I could. I could serve a much better purpose here than in the Void, but…I find that it is rather possessive of its inhabitants.” He lifted a hand, noticing that dark smoke was beginning to come out of the hole in his palm and the cuff of his coat. The tendrils seemed to have a life of their own, coiling around his fingers and palm. “It seems that it is as much a part of me as I am of it.”

   “IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO?”

   “If there is, I have yet to discover it.”

All three of the monsters’ attention turned to the human as he lifted his head, his eyes sparking with curiosity.

   “What is…the Void?”

The shadows that were wrapped around his limbs squeezed, making him wince in pain. Gaster’s expression was guarded.

   “It would be better for your sanity if you never found out.”

Sans silently agreed. Perhaps it was different for Gaster since he had been living there—if one could call it living—for the past ten years, but every time he passed through the Void, for a split moment every single one of his senses were muted, and it was unsettling each time without fail. He, of course, had his own questions regarding the mysterious plane between realities, but the human’s question reminded him of their audience and thought better of it. Papyrus’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

   “ARE THERE MORE OF YOU?” he demanded, staring down at their captive.

   “More what.”

   “Now is not the time to feign obliviousness, Mr. Hunter.”

   “MORE SCIENTISTS. MORE THAT SHARE THIS GOAL OF YOURS. YOU ALSO HAD SOMEONE WATCHING SANS, WAITING TO KILL HIM IF I DIDN’T DO AS YOU SAY.” He stepped closer, orange magic crawling across his fingertips and down the spear he’d yet to dismiss. “ARE. THERE. MORE OF YOU?”

The man chuckled mirthlessly, his head turning to make eye contact with Papyrus.

   “Perhaps not exactly the same. But there _will_ be someone that eventually takes my place. It’s unavoidable. Your abilities are simply too valuable not to harness. In fact…” he paused to snort condescendingly, “this little show of yours will likely give them the excuse they need. Just wait. They will come knocking.”

Gaster frowned, sifting through the windows in his mind’s eye. He did not like what he found, but…what could he do? Any attempt to curb the outcome was simply a delay of the inevitable and likely to make the situation worse.

   “…I see.”

   “is there a list somewhere of your employees?”

Hunter snorted.

   “That you have not already destroyed with your tromping through my labs? No.”

   “I highly doubt you kept payroll and the like on a computer designated for the labs. There is another computer somewhere, a personal computer on these upper floors, perhaps?”

The human said nothing.

   “whaddya have to gain by holding back the info? your op here is already falling apart.”

   “And why _should_ I cooperate?” he spat, then abruptly dropped to a mutter, his expression petulant. “You’ve already ruined my life.”

Sans scowled and opened his mouth to retort, but Gaster beat him to it.

   “That, my good doctor, is entirely on your shoulders, not ours.”

Hunter turned his gaze back to the floor, choosing not to respond. The tendrils around the man dissipated and Gaster quietly stepped back, his form spasming when he felt a pulse of…something. Through his eyes, he saw the physical plane and the Void beginning to overlap. It was getting darker. The demand of the Void for its denizen was almost a verbal command at that point, white noise echoing inside his head. He distantly heard sirens.

   “Ah…”

Sans and Papyrus moved to his side, their hands rising almost simultaneously to steady him just in case.

   “g…?”

   “It…is time. The call has become too strong. Perhaps one day…we can see each other again under less strenuous circumstances. Until then, continue on as you have been. I will be watching over you. My boys…”

Gaster raised his hands to clasp the arms holding him steady. He made eye contact with Sans and Papyrus, then closed his eyes, his expression calm.

   “I am very proud of you both.”

His body was barely distinguishable from the dense layer of black mist what had enveloped him.

   “Be strong.”

Sans and Papyrus were left grasping at air as Gaster’s form dissipated, curls of black trailing toward the ceiling in his absence. The sound of sirens got louder. Sans turned toward the sound, taking a deep breath.

   “guess the cavalry’s here. time to face the music, bud,” he said with a glance toward Hunter, who still hadn’t moved from his position.

   “Don’t act like you’re going to get away scot-free, X-21. Humans have been hurt. Do you honestly think they’re not going to want your heads?”

Papyrus tightened his grip on his spear, his brows furrowing in confusion.

   “WHY WOULD THEY WANT OUR HEADS? WE WERE ESCAPING THE TERRIBLE SITUATION YOU PUT US IN! THIS ENTIRE OPERATION WAS UNETHICAL AND CRUEL.”

Hunter let out a bark of laughter.

   “You need to brush up on your human history, X-22. We treat our own like animals for simply having a different skin color. What makes you think they will treat you, an entirely different sentient species, any better? What I have done to you may be cruel to you, but is perfectly reasonable to many others.”

Brief, but vivid memories of the other Frisk flashed through both of the skeletons’ heads, of their careless and detached view of the lives of the monsters they killed, of their simple reasoning of boredom and curiosity being behind their senseless murder. Papyrus shivered. Sans felt anger at the injustice swell beneath his ribcage and felt a strong wave of bitterness toward humanity before he squashed it down. He thought of John, of Stephanie, of Adrian, of Papyrus’s boss…there was good in humanity. Frisk showed that, as well. Only five humans out of the countless he’d seen giving him looks of fear and disgust. Still, he reasoned. It had to count for something.

   “I’M SURE THERE ARE HUMANS THAT DON’T AGREE. THERE HAS TO BE.”

The human finally moved, situating himself against the wall and draping his arms across his raised knees. His expression was condescending, but his tone was…something else, something Sans could vaguely detect as bitterness.

   “Humanity is a cesspool of blind hatred and ignorance; the sooner you learn that, the better off you will be.”

   “does that include you and this little scheme of yours?” Sans shot.

   “I knew what I was doing to you monsters when I began this project,” he spat back, “but at least with my cruelty I aimed to make humanity a better race!”

Papyrus wanted to hate this man so badly. He was so sure that he had. But…the more he took in the defensive bristle, the deprecating way he spoke about his own people…the more he simply pitied him. What had happened to him to make him believe the things he did?

   “AND WHAT ABOUT US? YOU CAN TAKE FROM US, BUT IF WE WERE TO EVER TAKE FROM YOU IT WOULD MEAN WAR. WHERE IS THE FAIRNESS IN THAT?”

Hunter snorted in derision.

   “Fairness is a fairy tale dreamt up by fools who believe there is such a thing as justice and eternal peace.” He glared at Papyrus. “ _It does not exist, X-22_.”

He didn’t want to believe that. He refused to believe that.

   “MY NAME IS PAPYRUS. THIS IS MY BROTHER SANS. I’M SURE YOUR CODENAMES WERE MEANT TO STRIP US OF OUR INDIVIDUALITY, TO PUT UP A WALL, TO MAKE IT IMPERSONAL, BUT YOUR EXPERIMENT IS OVER, DOCTOR. WE ARE INDIVIDUALS.”

   “It hardly matters now. Chances are I will be put on a watch to ensure I don’t continue my work, and I am being watched by that “father” of yours.”

Sans took note of the subtle change in his features once he mentioned Gaster.

   “ya know. if you hadn’t been a massive jackass, gaster probably would’ve loved to talk to you. people of science are his favorite conversational partners.”

   “SANS, LANGUAGE.”

   “yeah, gotcha bro.”

Hunter didn’t reply, instead staring at a point somewhere behind Sans. The sound of pounding footsteps had every head on the second floor turning toward the stairs and the brothers tensed, Papyrus dismissing his weapon to appear as less of a threat. Its absence made him mildly uncomfortable. A flash of blue and red made it through the doorway and Papyrus stumbled back as it rammed into him, a sharp inhale of air his only sign of distress.

   “Papyrus!!”

Sans reached out and touched Undyne’s arm, grabbing her attention.

   “’dyne, might wanna step back.”

The fish woman obeyed and drank in the sight of her best friend, belatedly realizing that perhaps hugging him so aggressively was probably a bad idea. He was smiling as best as he could, but orange magic was curling out of his right eyesocket in thick wisps and he was shaking, his breaths shallower than before.

   “Papyrus, I’m so sorry! I was just…damn it, I was just really. Relieved.” She reached out a hand to clasp his shoulder, but yanked it back at the last second, rubbing at the back of her neck. “You’re okay.”

   “Y-YES. I’M ALRIGHT NOW. JUST A TAD JUMPY.”

She turned to Sans, her hands twitching as she held back another gesture.

   “And you’re okay, too!”

   “yeah, they didn’t really touch me. paps kinda went hero-mode before they could.”

Undyne quirked a brow at this, thinking back to the last time she’d seen Papyrus upset enough to let loose.

   “So you went all out, huh?”

Papyrus sighed, shutting his eyesockets.

   “UNFORTUNATELY, YES. THERE IS A LARGE GROUP OF UNCONSCIOUS HUMANS DOWNSTAIRS IN THE LABS.”

   “Unfortunately!? Papyrus, do you realize what you’ve done?”

   “…CREATED MORE TROUBLE FOR ALL OF US?”

Undyne gestured to the monsters behind her that were clustered together, watching the exchange.

   “You’ve given freedom to a lot of hurt and scared monsters! You’ve stopped a really bad thing from happening!” She tilted her head and leaned forward a bit, trying to get him to understand. “…you’ve saved a lot of families from going through grief.”

Papyrus finally cracked open his eyesockets, his expression guilty and sad.

   “…BUT AT WHAT COST?”

   “Papyrus, what are you talking about?”

   “What he means is that those officers you came with are going to find those unconscious bodies and know that a monster did it. It would be a miracle if they didn’t jail your precious skeleton friends for the rest of their natural lives.”

Undyne finally noticed the human sitting against the wall and her mouth twisted up in a snarl.

   “No way in hell are they going to lock my friends up after they just got out of one hellhole. They’ll have to go through me, first.”

   “UNDYNE…”

   “Oh yes, do make the situation worse for yourselves. I’m sure your defiance will endear the law enforcement to you. In fact, I’m sure they’d let you tag along.”

Papyrus moved close to Undyne and shook his head, holding up pacifying hands.

   “IT WILL BE ALRIGHT, UNDYNE. EVEN IF…EVEN IF THEY DO TAKE ME IN…IT WILL BE ALRIGHT.”

   “where are they, anyway?”

   “They’re downstairs rounding up all the other humans that had been trying to escape.”

Undyne glanced at Sans, trying to tell him something with her eyes, but he didn’t bother trying to decipher it. He knew it’d have something to do with Papyrus. There was nothing they could do if the humans decided to arrest them…not without making things worse. He cursed himself. If he’d just…waited for Asgore and Toriel…damn it. Papyrus turned to him and knelt, pulling him into his arms.

   “SANS,” he murmured, “DON’T FEEL GUILTY. I KNOW I DIDN’T WANT YOU TO LOOK FOR ME, BUT…I DON’T WANT TO IMAGINE THE ALTERNATIVE.” His arms squeezed around Sans’s body. “UNDYNE HAS A POINT. A LOT OF MONSTERS WILL BE SAVED FROM GRIEF. I GOT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. AND WE…WE GOT TO MEET OUR FATHER. IF THESE MONSTERS GET TO LIVE, TO EXPERIENCE SUNLIGHT AND LOVE AND WARM MEALS AGAIN…THEN I WILL GLADLY ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES. IT WILL BE ALRIGHT.”

   “…are you telling me? or are you telling yourself?” Sans said softly.

   “BOTH,” he immediately responded. “I HAVE TO. I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE ALRIGHT. IF I DON’T, WHAT ELSE IS THERE?”

   “me, essentially.” the shorter skeleton said with a wry twist of his mouth. “just a whole lotta nihilism and apathy.”

Sans pulled away from Papyrus gently, taking a deep breath, trying to fight the feeling of hopelessness growing in his soul. A part of him was wishing that they’d never left the Underground, had never come to this place of hatred and ignorance. A thousand sunrises and a million stars were not worth what Papyrus had been put through, were not worth what he had yet to be put through. None of it was worth it.

   “SANS…”

   “undyne,” Sans interrupted, pointedly not looking at Papyrus and trying to silence his thoughts, “there should be a computer on this floor or the one below it that has personnel records. you should go let the other humans know so they can go hunt it down.”

Undyne hesitated, taking a step back but looking between Sans and Papyrus worriedly.

   “Are you guys sure you wanna be left alone for a bit longer?”

Papyrus sighed softly to himself, then rose to his feet, brushing down his slacks and smiling a little.

   “WE WILL BE FINE. WE HAVE HELD ON THIS LONG, HAVEN’T WE?”

   “Yeah…I guess so. I’ll be back in a few.”

And then she was gone, sprinting toward the stairwell and leaping down half the flight with one push of her legs. Sans sidled up to Papyrus and leaned against him, not willing to completely shut him out. If they were going to be taken and separated again, he didn’t want their last moments together to be spent avoiding each other. Papyrus’s arm wrapped around his shoulder and squeezed, accepting the gesture without a word. Waves of love were exchanged between the two through their connection and they basked in it, waiting.

   “SANS.”

He needed to say it out loud.

   “yeah?”

   “I LOVE YOU.”

Sans smiled, his eyesockets shutting. He heard footsteps, several pairs, coming up the stairs.

   “i love you, too.”

It was time.

* * *

 

Blue eyes widened in angered disbelief.

   “What do you mean they were arrested!?”

Undyne and Alphys flinched at the volume the human’s voice had taken. Tears gathered in Alphys’s eyes and Undyne snarled lowly, her left hand curling into a fist.

   “Yeah, they were originally going to just arrest Papyrus, but then Sans offered himself, saying Papyrus had reacted only in self defense. Papyrus wasn’t having any of that, and argued against it, saying he did the most damage. The cops decided to just take them both.”

John shook his head, pacing behind his desk like a caged animal. When he looked at them again, Alphys shivered. Maybe it was the weight of his stare, but it seemed chillier in the room, and his eyes were darkened from their normal blue, the turbulent emotions behind his eyes roiling like a thunderstorm.

   “No. This isn’t acceptable. I’m not gonna let monsters think that we’re a bunch of jerks.” He reached for his pocket, pulling out a cellphone and punching in numbers with his thumb. “I’m getting everyone I know. _Now_. I’m not gonna let my buddy and his bro stay stuck behind bars when they were only defending themselves!”

Undyne was nodding approvingly, and Alphys looked considering.

   “I-if it helps, I have a really popular friend that can h-help you out! M-maybe you’ve heard of M-Mettaton?”

John paused, his finger hovering over the ‘call’ button.

   “The really loud and stylish robot singer?”

Alphys nodded furiously, her small clawed hands rising up to her chest in fists.

   “Yes! H-he can rally the monsters t-that would want to h-help!”

   “Okay. Yeah, tell him we need all the help we can get. Maybe if we get enough of a crowd, the guys at the police department will have no choice but to let Sans and Papyrus go!”

   “Here’s to hoping! They won’t be able to ignore us!”

* * *

 

King Asgore sat patiently in the police chief’s office, Toriel standing by his right shoulder. The police chief, one Lazarus Miller, gulped quietly in the presence of the King of monsters and felt sweat bead near his receding hairline. He turned away from the window to his office and crossed his arms, trying to make himself look bigger and more intimidating…and failing miserably. Even sitting, Asgore towered over him, and despite the calm expression, he got the feeling that this monster was capable of being very, very dangerous. He cleared his throat, trying to look stern.

   “I’m sorry, Mr. Asgore, but they can’t leave. They’ve hurt humans, and caused thousands of dollars in property damage.”

Toriel narrowed her eyes.

   “Some of your citizens have caused the deaths of many of our own, and this one human, this Dr. Hunter, has caused the deaths of enough monsters to warrant a life sentence ten times over. Am I not correct?”

Her tone was even, but with an undercurrent of ice that had the hairs on the human’s arm standing on end. He considered the queen warily. She was dangerous, too, no matter how small her horns were or how fuzzy she seemed.

   “W-well…yes. But we are taking care of these criminals as well.”

   “With a slap on the wrist?”

Asgore turned to Toriel and they seemed to have a silent conversation, moments passing in silence and making Lazarus squirm in his chair until Toriel closed her eyes, bowing her head slightly.

   “I apologize. I am a touch upset and perhaps being harsher than I should be.”

   “Damn right you should apologize,” the human muttered.

The temperature of the room dropped and a bead of sweat raced down the side of Lazarus’s face when he saw that Asgore’s expression had hardened, his blue eyes chips of ice.

   “I will have to ask that you show my queen more respect. We have been very pleasant thus far and have done nothing to earn such a tone from you.”

Lazarus backpedaled quickly, holding up his hands and waving them apologetically.

   “N-n-no, I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect! I’m just…a little on edge too!”

He sighed, rubbing his short brown beard tiredly.

   “You have to understand, there are folks that will think your subjects, and by extension, the rest of you, are a danger to humanity once the media gets their hands on the fact that humans got hurt during their breakout. It doesn’t matter what the intention was. Things have been tense between monsters and humans with an increasing amount of hate crimes and this is just going to make it worse.”

Toriel turned away for a second, a paw rising to her mouth. When she turned back, her expression was sad.

   “I still believe this is very unfair. You do not consider a man dangerous if he injures his kidnapper while making a bid for freedom. Why, then, would Sans and Papyrus be treated with such disdain when attempting to leave such a terrible situation?”

Lazarus rubbed a hand across his face, the bags under his eyes looking darker than ever. Ever since these monsters had come out of the mountain, crime had skyrocketed in his city. A decent sleep was practically a foreign concept at this point.

   “Look, ma’am. That’s just how things are. I can’t do anything about it, my hands are tied.”

All three of them looked toward the door when there came a furious knocking, the form of a man shifting from foot to foot agitatedly behind the rippled glass of the door’s window. Lazarus moved to open the door, looking almost relieved.

   “What is it?”

   “Chief Miller, there’s hundreds of people outside the station and a bunch of monsters, all chanting for the freedom of those skeletons we brought in,” came the harried voice.

Toriel and Asgore looked at each other, smiling hopefully. The expression on Lazarus’s face was on of disbelief, his brown eyes widening comically.

   “H-humans too??”

   “They’re the loudest ones, sir! It looks like they’re being led by one of the guys I’ve seen working at City Hall. I think I even saw the director of those weirdly good movies sitting out there with a camera and egging them on.”

Lazarus said nothing and strained his hearing. A dull roar reached him. They really _were_ out there.

   “Well, I’ll be damned…”

   “Sir, the anti’s might come out en force. Should we attempt to break the crowd up?”

He shook his head, already dreading the paperwork that would inevitably follow either path.

   “Let them be. I’ll be out there in a minute to give a statement.”

Quick-moving footsteps moved away from the door and Lazarus shut the door quietly, sighing to himself. He glanced at the two monsters in his office.

   “Looks like your subjects might get a chance after all.”

* * *

 

Sans leaned against the wall of his cell, staring up at the ceiling and doing his best not to consider what was waiting for them when they got out of this place. _If_ they got out. They’d already given their side of the story. What was left?

   “SANS, YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO YOUR CELL. YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE THINGS WORSE.” came the soft call from a couple feet away.

   “nah. i’ve spent enough time away from you. besides, how much worse can it get?”

The look he got was withering. Right. Maybe he shouldn’t have opened his mouth.

   “…damn it. sorry, paps. look, it’ll…it’ll be alright, okay? weren’t you telling me that a while ago?”

There was a soft sigh.

   “…YES. IT WILL BE ALRIGHT.”

They lapsed into silence, Sans desperately trying not to feel awkward. He didn’t really have to ask at this point, because he could feel it as if it was him, but the idea of having nothing to fill the empty space with made him antsy. He almost wished Gaster was still with them so maybe they could have something of substance to talk about.

   “how’re you feeling? are you still…?”

Papyrus said nothing, rubbing idly at his arm and drawing his knees closer to his chest. Sans felt guilt through the connection and cursed himself again. Damn it, why couldn’t he say anything right?

**[Several hours ago]**

Sans watched as an officer briskly walked up to the apparent leader of the group of police, saying something lowly and glancing out of the corner of her eye at him and Papyrus. The leader turned to face them and frowned, moving toward them.

   “I’ve just been told that there was a rather sizeable group of unconscious humans down in the basement, all with signs of blunt force trauma. What do you two know about that?”

A wave of guilt poured through their connection and Sans closed his eyes, sending a wave of comfort and love to his brother.

   “I’M SORRY TO ADMIT THAT THAT WAS CAUSED BY ME. I WAS…I WAS VERY UPSET AND I COULDN’T STAND THE EXPERIMENTS ANYMORE. I WANTED TO GO HOME…AND THEY HAD MY BROTHER.”

Sans was quick to add to the statement. He knew where this was heading. Papyrus wasn’t going alone.

   “there were a few in there that were my doing. one was getting ready to shoot us and i wasn’t going to risk one of us getting hurt when all we wanted to do was leave.”

The officer considered them warily and narrowed his eyes in thought, then in resignation.

   “You’re both going to have to come with us.”

The flicker of hope in Papyrus was feeble at best.

   “TO GIVE OUR RECOUNT?”

   “Among other things.”

   “I…I SEE.”

A nearby officer moved toward Papyrus, their hand outstretched. Sans felt the panic from Papyrus and opened his mouth to warn the human, but Papyrus was faster, recoiling visibly from the reaching appendage. Sans stepped in front of Papyrus, and he felt his soul clench when Papyrus flinched from even him. Papyrus had hugged him earlier, why was he…?

   “touching paps might be a bad call. we’re gonna go willingly, okay? no need to get handsy.”

The humans nodded and Papyrus moved out from behind Sans, making his way to the front door of the building at a quick pace, with a breathy “I’M SORRY” as he moved past. The leader glanced at Papyrus, then at Sans who was moving slower but keeping an eye trained on his brother.

   “What’s wrong with him?”

Sans scowled, opened his mouth, then shut it again. He sighed, his eyesockets falling shut.

   “imagine there’s this dog. really happy dog, real excitable dog. trusts you. loves you. now imagine you decide that you don’t like this dog because it’s a dog and you start kicking it every time it came to you looking to play or be petted. imagine you yell at this dog, tell it you hate it, imagine you start throwing rocks at it, or dump acid on it, just because you can, because you hate dogs. so that dog is scared now. and when other people try to interact with that dog, it thinks it’s going to get kicked again or get stones thrown at it. sounds horrible, doesn’t it?”

The officer drew his brows together.

   “that,” Sans growled, “is what humans have done to my brother.”

Looking back the way Papyrus went, the human frowned, looking, to Sans’s surprise, genuinely upset.

   “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, then began walking toward the door as well.

   “if only ‘sorry’ was enough,” Sans uttered.

**[Present]**

There had been a mild hope that they could just keep going on like before, but that was ridiculous to think, even for him. If he couldn’t get over the nightmare of the resets, what made him think that Papyrus would be able to just move past it on top of his limited recollection of resets as well?

He glanced over at his brother and saw that he was still rubbing at his arm. It would take time for him to get past the worst of it, and given how Papyrus was so much…brighter and more trusting than he was, it must have been a much harsher blow to have it all turned on him, first by the child masquerading as Frisk and then by the ignorant humans on the surface…or vice versa if one wanted to go by the order in which Papyrus personally experienced them.

   “papyrus, I’m sorry. i know i’m being a complete dingus and stickin’ my foot in my mouth, but. i just want you to be okay, okay? it hurts to see you like this.”

Sans heard the fabric of Papyrus’s gloves crunch together as his hands balled into fists.

   “AND YOU THINK I DON’T WANT _YOU_ TO BE OKAY WHEN YOU HAVE _YOUR_ EPISODES? DO YOU THINK I ENJOY SEEING THE PANIC ON YOUR FACE WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR NIGHTMARES? DO YOU THINK IT DIDN’T _PAIN_ _ME_ TO SEE YOUR ANXIETY ATTACKS WHEN SOMETHING WOULD MAKE YOU REMEMBER THE RESETS?”

Papyrus’s voice was gradually growing in volume until Sans was shrinking back from him, his eyesockets wide. At that expression, Papyrus quietly curled back into himself, his eyesockets training on the tops of his knees. His voice was low again. “I SUPPORTED YOU THROUGH YOUR HARD TIMES. NOW I MAY NEED YOU TO RETURN THE FAVOR. I…”

   “I DON’T THINK I CAN DO IT ON MY OWN.”

Sans stared at his brother for a long moment before giving a small bitter smile. He matched Papyrus’s tone.

   “i gotta. it’s my job as your bro and mate, isn’t it?”

Papyrus huffed, quirking up one side of his mouth.

   “YES, I SUPPOSE IT IS.”

Footsteps from the entry of the room holding them made them both tense, their gazes fixating on the direction the sound was coming from. The human the sounds belonged to soon came in sight, and he paused and opened his mouth, wondering to himself how the short one had gotten in the cell of the tall one, but shut it again, not wanting to make his head hurt when he’d done so well to avoid a headache all day.

   “You’re both free to go. Follow me and we’ll get you sorted out.”

The skeletons looked at each other, smiling—how could skeletons smile like that, the human wondered—then stood as a single unit, the shorter one taking point.

   “lead on, bud.”

* * *

 

A wild cheer had gone up when it had been announced that Sans and Papyrus were going to be released on the grounds that they had acted in self defense. Hushed words passed between some clusters of humans and monsters that perhaps it would be wise to begin working toward monsters having full civil rights and be treated fairly and equally. Those same groups wondered if the antis would begin having similar sentiments, but toward the opposite end. It would be a difficult battle in the weeks, months, years ahead. But it would be worth it. It would all be worth it.

* * *

 

Toriel stood outside the door to the brothers’ house, her paws clasped together and her expression one of concern. Asgore stood behind her, his own expression very similar. Undyne and Alphys had promised to visit in a couple of days and Mettaton had wished them well and had mentioned sending them to a spa resort whenever they were ready for the relaxation.

   “Will you two be alright on your own?”

Papyrus smiled, affection for his queen warming his soul.

   “WE WILL BE JUST FINE, YOUR HIGHNESS! WE’VE GOT EACH OTHER!”

Toriel wanted to protest, saying that an outside source would probably be better than them bouncing their troubled emotions off of each other, and that she could stay for a bit and make them some food, but a large hand clasped her shoulder and she turned to see Asgore giving her a gentle look that told her that she needed to give them space. Maybe she could visit them later? Asgore sent a small wave of agreement.

   “Papyrus, Sans,” Asgore began softly, “welcome home. Take some time to rest. If it’s all right with you, we would like to visit soon, and perhaps make you a meal. Please remember, you have friends out here, and many who love and respect you.”

Sans nodded, smiling gratefully.

   “we know. thank you, asgore. tori.”

   “Of course,” Toriel replied, bringing her clasped paws up to her chest. “Take care, you two.”

With that, they turned and the door shut quietly behind them. Sans watched as Papyrus slowly moved around the house, touching everything as if he hadn’t seen it in years.

   “SANS…”

   “yeah?”

   “I THOUGHT I WAS NEVER GOING TO SEE ANY OF THIS AGAIN.”

   “…oh.”

Slowly, Papyrus unclasped his cloak and draped it over the back of the sofa, his hand smoothing down the fabric. His jacket followed, and a shift of his legs told Sans that he was removing his shoes. Sans watched, transfixed, as Papyrus moved to the center of the living room and sank to his knees, his gloveless hands stroking the carpet fibers. With deliberate slowness, Papyrus sank further still, his skull eventually brushing against the ground. The rest of his body followed suit, his legs stretching out behind him. When Papyrus stopped moving, Sans moved to join him, shucking his slippers and laying on his back next to the taller skeleton, his legs crossing and his hands folding behind his head. Papyrus’s emotions were all over the place and it was a little heartbreaking to feel the way he was reacting to being home. He wished he could help. He reached out to grab at Papyrus’s limp hand then hesitated.

   “paps?”

It took a beat before Papyrus answered.

   “YES?”

   “is it alright if i hold your hand?”

There was that guilt again. Sans frowned. Papyrus honestly felt like crying a little. The fact that Sans had to ask to touch him was embarrassing; he wondered how long it would be like this, how hard he’d have to work to overcome it. He rotated his arm and brought his hand up to feel up Sans’s, working down toward where the smaller skeleton’s hand was waiting open. The bones of their fingers immediately tangled together and Sans pulled their linked hands down so that they lay against his chest. As the moments dragged on, Papyrus’s emotions settled into relief. Sans sent him a small wave of love. He got one in return.

   “WE’RE HOME,” came the muffled voice.

Sans closed his eyesockets.

   “yeah. we’re home.” 

* * *

It took six days for Papyrus to completely believe that he wasn’t dreaming.

It took Sans two weeks to return to work. It took Papyrus four. Sans had asked if he’d wanted to wait longer, that it’d be okay if he did, but Papyrus was stubborn and insisted. He’d get no better if he kept himself at home all the time. Some days he’d come home a shaking mess. Some days he’d come home smiling, telling Sans about what a good person John was. Sans agreed.

It took two months for Papyrus to no longer instinctively flinch whenever Sans touched him. It hadn’t been easy. Near the end of the first month, they had gotten into an argument because as much as Sans rationalized Papyrus’s behavior, he couldn’t reconcile it with how Papyrus used to be. His mate should trust him, shouldn’t he? Papyrus had been trying to stay calm, but failed the more upset his brother got, harshly reminding Sans that during his own panic attacks, he had demanded to not be touched. Why should _he_ be forced to push through _his_ own fear? As Sans lay in his room that night, in separate rooms for the first time in a long while, Sans mulled over what Papyrus had told him before retiring upstairs. Papyrus was right, of course he was right. Sans wasn’t being fair. He’d just have to try harder to remember that he wasn’t the only one with scars now. Uneasy and remorseful, he’d left his room and padded to Papyrus’s, quietly opening the door. To his surprise, Papyrus had been waiting for him, facing the door while wrapped in blankets. Wordlessly, Papyrus had lifted the covers and Sans had crawled in, wrapping himself around his mate and apologizing softly, over and over. “I KNOW,” was all that had been said.

Christmas was a quiet affair, with lunch being spent at Asgore’s house, and the rest of the day being spent at their house drinking coffee and conversing quietly in front of the small electric fireplace given to them by Asgore and Toriel. They exchanged gifts there, wanting a more private moment. It was the first time since the kidnapping that Papyrus held Sans longer than a couple of moments. He had gotten Sans a telescope to replace the one he’d left behind, remembering the expression on Sans’s face when they’d first come to the surface. He wanted to see more of that expression. Sans had smiled as he unwrapped the gift, and the heavy rush of affection from him had Papyrus swaying in his seated spot in front of the couch.

_“I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO GO STARGAZING SOME TIME.”_

_Sans’s smile grew wider._

_“i’d like that. but i gotta admit, paps…”_

_“EH?”_

_The smile twisted into something smug, one of his eyesockets shutting in a wink._

_“all the stars in the sky don’t compare to you.”_

_Blushing was almost foreign to Papyrus, and he stammered as he felt his face heat up._

_“B-BUT…I’M NOT…A STAR…?”_

_“sure you are,” Sans casually replied, nuzzling into Papyrus’s shoulder and pressing his gift into Papyrus’s lap, “you’re my north star.”_

_Papyrus looked down at the shoddily wrapped gift. The wrapping paper looked to be an amalgam of all the small leftover bits from when he’d wrapped the presents for their friends, held together with far too much tape. Why hadn’t Sans just used fresh paper?_

_“NORTH STAR…?”_

_“’s right,” he murmured, “you always guide me in the right way. and wherever you are, home is.”_

_“SANS…”_

_“open yours,” Sans urged gently. “it’s not as great as what you’ve given me, but…”_

_Carefully, Papyrus peeled the paper apart and scrunched his browridges together when it was revealed to be a book. It was made from a rich brown leather that he could smell and embossed with a leafy pattern around the edges in a lighter shade. When he pulled it open, it was blank._

_“WHAT IS THIS?”_

_“it’s uh…it’s a journal.” Sans scratched at the back of his skull with his free hand. “actually, half of it is a journal, the other half is a sketchbook. i thought that…maybe…it would help if you had a place to put your thoughts down. i know you may feel like you’re getting better, and really, you are, but…i mean. it can’t hurt to have it.”_

_Before Sans could stumble over himself any more, Papyrus pulled him forward into a crushing hug. The love pouring out of Papyrus was making it hard for Sans to breathe. His voice was a thick whisper._

_“THANK YOU…”_

_Sans smiled and hugged Papyrus back._

_“you’re welcome, paps.”_

* * *

 

On New Year’s Eve, Papyrus and Sans had agreed to go to Grillby’s for open mic night. Upon arriving, to their surprise, they saw a fair handful of humans mingling with monsters, all smiling and enjoying themselves. Sans glanced out of the corner of his eyesockets up at Papyrus, but the tall monster seemed to still be at ease, moving with purpose toward the bar to greet the fire elemental that was mixing drinks. Sans followed slowly, honestly enjoying the sight of the mixing races. This was all they’d ever wanted when they’d arrived on the surface. He knew this scene being repeated everywhere was still a long way off, and perhaps even impossible to a degree, but for now, he’d take what he could get. He met Papyrus at the bar and nodded at Grillby in greeting, getting a nod in return. Grillby looked between the two of them for a moment, studying them, then nodded again, apparently approving of whatever he saw.

   “You need to visit more often,” he said in his low, crackling voice as he slid Sans a bottle of his usual.

Sans nodded, immediately taking a swig and sighing to himself, pleased.

   “yeah, i know. we got a lot to _ketchup_ on.”

Papyrus snorted beside him, sipping on the milkshake he’d been given. He waited until Sans had taken another swig, then spoke.

   “SANS, DON’T START. YOU KNOW I HATE YOUR JOKES FROM MY HEAD _TO-MA-TOES_.”

Sans choked, slapping a hand down on the counter. The flames on top of Grillby’s head danced in amusement and Papyrus sat primly beside him, looking for all the world like he was innocent. Once he’d gotten himself back under control, Sans looked over at Papyrus in muted amazement, then smiled.

   “paps, don’t be _saucy_ with me.”

Papyrus made a ‘HMPH!’ noise and tried looking imperious, cracking one eyesocket open to look at Sans.

   “I RATHER THINK BEING SAUCY IS A _CONDIMENT_ , THANK YOU VERY MUCH.”

The two of them paused to stare at each other, then began laughing. Sans was the first to get himself to stop, wiping at his eyesockets.

   “i didn’t think you had it in you, bro.”

   “I HAVE MADE JOKES BEFORE! JUST NOT VERY OFTEN.”

   “heh. i’ll have to remember to swing my jokes by you more often. i could always use the practice.”

   “DON’T GET TOO COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA.”

The high-pitched squeak of a microphone being moved got their attention and they turned to the small stage Grillby had set up, seeing the young man that had situated himself there with a guitar. Papyrus glanced at Sans, remembering the guitar sitting in Sans’s room. It was a good way to start the evening, he decided. The beginning of the song was melancholy, Papyrus thought. When the human began singing, his eyesockets widened. What a soothing voice…

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3i0eOfchxg)

_Find me here, and speak to me_  
_I want to feel you, I need to hear you_  
 _You are the light that's leading me to the place_  
 _Where I find peace again_

Those words…he looked over at Sans, seeing that the shorter skeleton had closed his eyesockets, leaning against the bar. He turned back to the human.

_You are the strength that keeps me walking_  
_You are the hope that keeps me trusting_  
_You are the life to my soul_  
_You are my purpose_  
_You're everything_

The life to his soul…was this song talking about them? Was it written by a monster about mates?

_And how can I stand here with you_  
_And not be moved by you_  
_Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

He felt his soul pulse and felt Sans’s pulse as well. Putting that one fight aside, Sans had been so patient with him, so caring and thoughtful and loving. He felt so lucky.

_You calm the storms and you give me rest_  
_You hold me in your hands_  
_You won't let me fall_

At this, the two skeletons looked at each other, each searching the other’s expressions. As the human continued singing, Papyrus reached across the small distance between them and took Sans’s hand.

_You steal my heart and you take my breath away_ _  
Would you take me in, take me deeper now_

   “LET’S GO HOME,” Papyrus murmured.

Nodding slightly, Sans turned his head to nod at Grillby and with a soft flare of his magic, they were gone. Grillby smiled to himself, taking the ketchup bottle and tucking it back under the counter.

_And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you_ _  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this_

Papyrus was moving as soon as their feet touched the ground, pulling Sans to the couch and crushing his smaller body against his own.

   “SANS…I’VE NEVER THANKED YOU FOR HOW WONDERFUL YOU’VE BEEN…”

   “you don’t have to thank me, paps. you show it plenty enough. Besides…i can feel it.”

The grip on Sans grew tighter.

   “STILL. THANK YOU. YOU’VE BEEN SO GOOD TO ME DESPITE HOW AWFUL I’VE BEEN.”

   “trust me, you were _not_ awful. and even if you were, it wouldn’t have mattered. you had your reasons, and you’ll continue to have your reasons, just like i do.”

Papyrus considered this, then nodded in acceptance, his chin scraping against the top of Sans’s skull.

   “WOULD YOU PERHAPS LIKE TO GO STARGAZING? IT’S CLEAR TONIGHT, AND THE SNOW FROM LAST WEEK SHOULD HAVE MELTED BY NOW. I THOUGHT THAT…WELL. MAYBE WE COULD GO WHERE WE FIRST SAW STARS, CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAIN.”

Sans smiled.

   “i’d like that. i’ll get the coffee ready. you go get whatever you need.”

He watched Papyrus dash up the stairs and chuckled, moving toward the kitchen.

* * *

 

The trek to the clearing was a short one and the moon was barely rising high in the sky, still a couple scant hours from its peak. As they had when they’d first come to the surface, the stars left them speechless, and it took several moments for Papyrus to come back to himself and set down the blankets, humming to himself the tune that the human had been singing. Sans watched this with a smile, trying to find patterns in the puffs of air Papyrus breathed out into the cold night. Shaking his head, Sans prepared their coffee and moved to calibrate the telescope. When he was done, he stepped back and tried not to laugh at the little nest Papyrus had made them. He beckoned his brother over.

   “c’mere. let me show you how this thing works.”

Papyrus shuffled over to him, a spark of his old enthusiasm breaking through and lighting up his face.

   “don’t try to turn it up to full power, ok? it’ll be fuzzy if you do. now, if you turn it this way…”

   “WOWIE…THE MOON HAS A LOT MORE SCARS THAN I THOUGHT IT DID.”

Sans’s voice was soft.

   “still beautiful though, isn’t it?”

Papyrus had a feeling Sans wasn’t talking about the moon anymore. He pulled away from the telescope and locked gazes with his brother.

   “YES. IT IS.”

Gently, Sans reached out with one of his hands and brushed his thumb against Papyrus’s cheekbone.

   “i love you, papyrus.”

Papyrus leaned into Sans’s touch, shutting his eyesockets for a few seconds, then opening them again.

   “I LOVE YOU TOO, SANS.”

At that, Papyrus leaned forward, his arms wrapping around his brother and lowering them both to the ground in the middle of their nest of blankets. They lay like that for a long time, saying nothing and listening to the sounds of the nature around them.

   “SANS?”

   “mm?” came the quiet response.

Papyrus tilted Sans’s face up and locked gazes with him. Sans was already blushing a little. How adorable. Their teeth met with a small sound and he could feel how Sans was practically overflowing with love and happiness and relief. The moment was brief, but it was enough to have both of their souls nearly bursting at the seams with emotion.

   “and here i thought you were never going to kiss me again.”

   “IT SEEMS I HAVE PLENTY OF KISSES TO MAKE UP FOR THEN, DON’T I?”

   “hey, if you’re offering…”

Papyrus kissed Sans again. 

* * *

They lay quietly together as they heard the first firework go off.

   “happy new year, paps.”

   “HAPPY NEW YEAR, SANS.”

Small flares of color bathed the crowns of the trees surrounding them and Sans had already lost the ability to count the intervals in which they went off. He instead took to roving the sky for other constellations that he knew, not wanting to think too hard about what he wanted to say. Just say it, he told himself.

   “ARE YOU OKAY?”

   “oh yeah, i’m fine. extra fine, even.”

He took a small, even breath.

   “i’m happy.”

Papyrus didn’t respond immediately, kissing the tips of Sans’s fingers.

   “SO AM I.”

   “but hey, listen…”

   “HM?”

Sans shifted, leaning up on one arm to look down at Papyrus’s relaxed form.

   “how…” he cleared his throat. “how do you still feel about that marriage thing?”

Papyrus smiled.

  _Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

* * *

* * *

 

 

Extra 1: 

_He sifted through timelines, sighing softly to himself and wishing for the umpteenth time that he could be more than a spectator. Of course, watching over his boys was always something he took joy in, but sometimes he felt like he had his hands tied. Perhaps he should have allowed Sans to find him? No, that would be a foolish decision. He had yet to find a solution to what essentially was his imprisonment. The Void's grip on him was iron, his existence thoroughly entrenched across the empty plane._

_Gaster smiled when he saw Papyrus pull Sans into an affectionate hug. They had been much closer since their fight in the forest, a portion of which still eluded him since his "window" had distorted afterward, shifting to a new point in time. He'd thought of going back and revisiting the scene, but had figured it wouldn't be worth it. Whatever had happened had repaired their relationship, and he was perfectly fine with leaving it be. He blinked to himself when he saw Sans blush and saw Papyrus lean down to press his teeth against Sans's._

Oh. _Oh_.                                                              

_His jaw clenched when he saw Papyrus pin Sans against a wall and pick him up, Sans's legs wrapping around his brother's waist. Oh dear. Oh my. He hadn't had a need to be embarrassed over anything in a long, long time and the feeling was, in his professional opinion, very unwelcome. It was when he saw Sans's hips twitch forward that he abruptly turned away from the window, his hand coming up to slap against his eyes. Could he catch fire in the Void? That seemed like a thing that could happen right now._

  _He took a deep breath, composing himself, then stared at the blackness beneath his feet._

   _"Well. I suppose that's one hypothesis that got proven."_

 

Extra 2:

Papyrus groaned, sitting up in bed and rubbing at his skull. How much had he had to drink last night? Normally, he didn’t indulge, but it had been Sans’s birthday and it was close to being their third year on the surface. He glanced down at Sans and smiled to himself, thinking the way the skeleton was sprawled was rather endearing. A brief image of Sans smirking above him in their darkened room, his left eye glowing brightly, flashed in his head and he blinked several times, his cheekbones warming. He didn’t think he’d ever get enough of Sans taking charge like that.

He slid off the bed, frowning slightly when he felt his world tilt a bit. Odd. He couldn’t possibly be drunk still, could he? No, that wasn’t it. He felt…drained. Well, to be fair, his mind reasoned, Sans was probably extra handsy the night prior. He blushed again. No time to think about that, he was sure he had work today. Right? Oh gosh, why couldn’t he remember? His mind felt so fuzzy. Maybe he _was_ still drunk. Slow shuffles took him to their bathroom and he stared at his reflection when he entered the small room. Odd. He didn’t _look_ that bad. He looked tired, yes, but he seemed more full of life than ever. Shrugging to himself, he pulled his pajama top over his head and moved toward the shower, freezing when his peripheral vision caught something in the mirror. Bright orange around his midsection, forming an abdomen. He looked down and focused, and there it was. Just barely visible. A tiny sliver of white. Too early to take on a color of its own, but it was there. His knees began to shake. They had talked about this already, of course. But to do so while they were drunk…oh to hell with it. He was happy regardless.

   “SANS…SANS!!”

As soon as he finished the last call, Sans was standing in front of him, his left eye burning blue.

   “what is it, what’s wrong, where are they?”

Papyrus grasped both sides of Sans’s face, making him focus on his own smiling face.

   “THERE IS NO ONE. WELL. I MEAN, I GUESS THERE IS? I’M JUST SO EXCITED, I HAD TO TELL YOU IMMEDIATELY!”

Sans blinked a few times, still groggy and not entirely sure what was going on.

   “wha? paps what are you talkin’ about?”

He felt one of his hands get grabbed and placed against something warm and flat. He looked down and saw Papyrus with an orange abdomen and scrunched his browridges together.

   “…huh?”

   “SANS, YOU ARE GOING TO BE A FATHER!”

Any traces of sleep were wiped from his face immediately. Sans’s eyelights flicked from Papyrus’s face to his abdomen several times, his sockets widening.

   “i’m…gonna be a…?”

Papyrus nodded vigorously.

Sans fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's this extra line here since I couldn't figure out where else to put it:  
> "paps, do you ever wish we'd never left the underground?"  
> "DO YOU THINK WE WOULD BE TOGETHER AS WE ARE NOW IF WE HADN'T?"  
> "...i don't know."  
> "THEN I'M GLAD WE'RE HERE."  
> And this is the end. It was one hell of a trip. Thank you, all of you, for sticking with me as long as you have. I appreciate you, I love you, and I'm sorry I took so bloody long. I changed everything in my head at least six times before deciding that, okay, I'm just going to pick something and RUN with it. I hope you enjoyed this, and I hope you stay with me for any future endeavors. <3 Also, enjoy the extras. I couldn't resist. I'd promised a mention of papyrus being prego (hah), so yes. I'd considered making Sans the mom but I don't think his body could handle it.

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